atopia.

one of the highlights of my trip was a visit to cccb, the centre of contemporary culture in barcelona. there was an exhibition called atopia, a collection picturing urban landscapes and people.

some were real but entirely foreign, unlike everything we'd consider urban or sometimes even a dwelling. some were familiar and beautifully frightening. some exquisitely beautiful but thoroughly imaginary.

i was particularly touched by anothermountainman's lan wei liu, a series of photographs of unfinished buildings started during the economic boom of china after allowing foreign investment which were left to decay after the money ran out. the phenomenon is visible around the world, graspable in nyc and quite probable in dubai, for example.

the collection consisted mainly of photography, but video, sculpture and painting was also present. there were big names i knew before like vanessa beecroft and david lachapelle, whose images have a fashion editorial, constructed and almost teflon-like lack of subtlety regarding their subject matter but are flawlessly polished, and, additionally, striking images from daniel canogar and intricate architectural juxtapositions of dionisio gonzález.

wholeheartedly recommended, the exhibition runs till 24 may, so you've got to hurry if you want to catch it.