The Spanish Embassy in Manila, with the collaboration of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Instituto Cervantes, the MET Manila, Acción Cultural Española and Indra, put together Foto A Foto: Portraits of Spain. The exhibit is a collection of sixty photographs taken all over Madrid and Barcelona, dating from the fifties to the present. What I like best about this exhibit is that every photograph presents a fresh vantage point, a different version of Madrid and Barcelona through a photographer's eyes. There is a distinct variety of visual and aesthetic representations present throughout the collection and I guess that's an inevitability if you put the works of fifty renowned Spanish photographers next to each other. In a way, the viewer gets to see Spain in the eyes of a local and it is very much enjoyable, seeing how these talented individuals view their home country through these photos.
Here are my favorite pieces:
A series of photographs in a town plaza. The term "town plaza" brings to mind two things: the London "ton" where the old English folk walk around to parade new bonnets, parasols and gowns and the provincial town center of my childhood, where children gathered to kick a football, feed the koi fishes (which later turned into mud carps, only in the Philippines!) and run around. The photo set is a little bit of both, it's a mix of tourists walking around and a lot of the locals out and about, doing their daily business. I really like the rural feel of these photos. I especially like the working class drama the black and white photographs bring.
I'm a big fan of double takes and missed connections, so I gravitate towards photos that capture these moments. It's a little bit creepy, sure, but it is easier to feel empathy towards the subjects of these photos. We've all been there, after all, and isn't it a delightful feeling, when your heart takes a tiny leap the moment you see someone you fancy? Or you know, someone you could fancy, if only you would be given the chance.
I really like these pictures taken by Marta Soul for no particular reason other than I like nice cars and I find the Indian work ethic impressive (and a little terrifying since big companies are relocated from the US to India nowadays).
This is my favorite photograph from the collection:
Again, I'm a big fan of missed connections and double takes. I find this photo so impressive because it leaves so much room for the viewer to speculate the real story behind the visual. Personally, I took it as a fleeting but electrifying attraction but that's probably because I should start stepping away from reading too much fiction. I'm really into stories of longing. I wonder what that says about me.
By the way, this exhibit lets you brush up on your Spanish a bit by providing the photo's description and the artists' brief histories in Spanish text. It could be fun, come visit!
Foto A Foto: Portraits of Spain will run until January 15, 2012 at the MET Manila.
