Landscapes under construction. More than reality
22/06/2016.
Photographic project by Alfonso Batalla
metalocus, PALOMA DE LA QUINTANA
metalocus, PALOMA DE LA QUINTANA
Photography was born with the purpose of capturing reality. The series Landscapes under construction seems to fulfill this role: what we see in these works seems real.
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
Sample of Landscapes under construction. Photograph © Alfonso Batalla
One of the seven photographic series that are exhibited in the Spanish Pavilion at the 15th edition of the Venice Biennale is Landscapes under construction, a project in which its author, Alfonso Batalla, uses photographic composition as a medium to generate a metaphor of the reality that the housing boom has led in Spain.
Despite appearances to the contrary, none of these spaces exists in the real world. Landscapes under construction intends to face the new against the decadent by superimposing generally new elements in spaces in decomposition. As they are absolutely realistic images, the viewer sees them as existing, which causes their "existence". The aim is that the "insertion" is done in a "not so obvious" way, by sometimes digitally reconstructing elements of space itself, or by placing everyday objects in it, but always trying to give an unease sense to the viewer as , more or less evidently, they are presented to a space in which something should not be there. Sometimes this feeling is vague and force the viewer to find what's wrong with the picture; other times on the contrary it is clear and even shocking.
Complete removal of temporary dimension, of three-dimensionality, artist's decisions on the instant, composition, optics and other technical elements of the photographic capture, generate a specific, voluntary, fragmented and altered reality result.
By showing the ambiguity between the new and the decadent, these photographs contain a metaphor about the photographic device and language.
Despite appearances to the contrary, none of these spaces exists in the real world. Landscapes under construction intends to face the new against the decadent by superimposing generally new elements in spaces in decomposition. As they are absolutely realistic images, the viewer sees them as existing, which causes their "existence". The aim is that the "insertion" is done in a "not so obvious" way, by sometimes digitally reconstructing elements of space itself, or by placing everyday objects in it, but always trying to give an unease sense to the viewer as , more or less evidently, they are presented to a space in which something should not be there. Sometimes this feeling is vague and force the viewer to find what's wrong with the picture; other times on the contrary it is clear and even shocking.
Complete removal of temporary dimension, of three-dimensionality, artist's decisions on the instant, composition, optics and other technical elements of the photographic capture, generate a specific, voluntary, fragmented and altered reality result.
By showing the ambiguity between the new and the decadent, these photographs contain a metaphor about the photographic device and language.
More information
Lugar
Pabellón de España de la Bienal de Venecia.
Giardini, Venecia, Italia.
Fechas
del 28 de Mayo hasta el 27 de noviembre.
Alfonso Batalla
Alfonso Batalla was born in Madrid on the '58 and lives and works in Bilbao since '86. He has made several solo exhibitions nationally in Bilbao, Guipuzcoa, Madrid and Formentera and internationally in London. He also made exhibition in galleries at ARCO, MADRIDFOTO, ARTMADRID, FLECHA, ARTEFAIM, ART / SALAMANCA, OPEN ART FAIR and ESTAMPA. His series Landscapes under construction is one of the seven photographic series exhibited in the Spanish Pavilion at the 2016 Venice Biennale.
