Fran Simó

22

2000-2009
Book
Self-published, 21×29 cm, 26 pages, laser color printing on recycled paper, manual binding.
Edition: 10 books + 1 artist proof

Site-specific installation at Centre Civi Pati Llimona.
6x3m space with, various objects and photographs.
22 photographs (21 of A4 y one copy of 150x100cm), laser color printing on recycled paper, framed on cardboard.
200 photographs 10x15cm standard photo paper. Single copies.

eBook
Available here

22 – Text

22′s pictures are fragments of calm between two eras, two development models: the industrial model and the knowledge one.

The Poblenou neighborhood of Barcelona had suffered the industrial crisis and remained forgotten. It was later taken over by homeless immigrants, squatters, ruins, demolishers, gypsies, abandoned toys, old account books… and the resistance, people who had already been living there before the changes began and didn’t want to leave.

This selection of 22 pictures comes from my personal archive of about 2000 pictures of the area, taken between 2000 and 2009. It’s more emotional than documentary.

When I approached the project I knew I wanted to convey a feeling of abandonment, plunder and give it a radically non-digital look. I also liked the idea of exploiting the transformation potential of digital media (the foundation of the knowledge society) to give it an analog look and feel.

I wanted to show photographs that could have been taken with a camera found among the factory ruins, a cheap camera forgotten by someone while leaving the plant behind. It would have a plastic lens and over the years light leaks would show up inside the camera… also, if it carried any film it would be expired.

22 – Photographs