The American photographer captured some of the most hedonistic moments in the island&rsquo;s history.

A chance meeting led this native <a href="https://www.victorspinelli.com">New Yorker</a> to Ibiza at a magical time, the era of the legendary Manumission parties. L'OFFICIEL IBIZA caught up with photographer Victor Spinelli to talk about his iconic images for the party.
You're from the USA - what led you to Ibiza?
I was born in New York but immediately started travelling after graduating from university. I couldn&rsquo;t see myself working in an office with our big beautiful world looming on my horizon. Shortly after college, I was living in <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/travel/mykonos-santorini-guide-greek-islands-hotels" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mykonos</a>, Greece and during a winter backpacking trip through India, with a girlfriend, I met a French traveller who had been living in Ibiza. He and I became great friends and two years later I came to visit him and was hooked instantly to the island.
What inspired you to pick up a camera?
The short answer would be my dad. He was an amateur photographer and was always shooting photos and Super 8 movies of his travels and our family. From the age of eight or nine, I used to always photograph my boy scout trips and put little albums together.&nbsp;

How did you connect with Manumission?
I actually moved to Ibiza in 2001 to start a hot air balloon bungee jumping company (I owned a similar company in NY). But as this project didn&rsquo;t take off, pardon the pun, I decided to bring my documentary photography portfolio to the island. I just happened to be carrying this portfolio one day when I ran into Mike Manumission on the harbour. I showed it to him and he immediately said, &lsquo;I want you to document my party, it starts on Monday&rsquo;. He hired me on the spot.
What are your most memorable moments of that time?
The pure decadent and free energy at Manumission was like a lighting bolt. I remember one time that I was climbing on the steel rafters, near the roof of Privilege to take some photographs and videos from above. The scene below was amazing. 10,000 people, the show, the lights, sounds, energy, etc. But really the most memorable times were when the six-hour stage show would end at sunrise and then the Coco Loco Room would really kick off at around 7am until 10am. Pure shenanigans, messy fun, laughter, silly string, no holds barred partying. It was insanely hilarious and probably the most incredible party room I&rsquo;ve ever experienced.

How does the island inspire you?
The nature of this island inspires me as I&rsquo;m still finding <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/ibiza/hidden-beaches-on-ibiza-s-answer-to-big-sur" target="_blank" rel="noopener">magical spots</a> after 20 years. But there is something that I call the &lsquo;Ibiza Smile&rsquo;, which I love. The smile of the people here, my friends and my spontaneous community. You can wake up any day without plans and by the end of the day you could be invited to a plethora of happenings and get-togethers.&nbsp;
What are your future plans?
My biggest future plan is to get my script and graphic novel made into a cult classic movie. Tropic of Ouzo, is a contemporary dark comedy set in Mykonos. The story is based on a female DJ and her girlfriend who get mixed up in a bet between two Greek gods (in human form), on whether the human race has integrity or not. The Greek gods are mingling with the humans, so the humorous banter is very engaging, identifiable and current with our times. The soundtrack has to be as eclectic, as the cinematography is to the strong storyline.
<a href="https://www.victorspinelli.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.victorspinelli.com</a>

Victor Spinelli: ‘The decadent energy at Manumission was like a lightning bolt.’

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