Historias Re-Vueltas | Habitantos - Proyecto Sociofotográfico
ARCHIVO 2006
We carried out this socio-photographic project during the summer of 2006, which was both an act of solidarity against racism and discrimination and a field project that would satisfy our curiosity and tell us how many people and from how many nationalities could we gather together in one spot on the Barceloneta beach in Barcelona.
We formulated a methodology in which the photographer could not initiate contact. He would have to wait until the people came closer due to their own curiosity and believed in the event without being convinced or sought out. The only thing we had was a camera placed in the same spot on the Barceloneta boardwalk each day for a few hours. We hung this sign on the camera’s tripod to attract people, and after they asked the photographer a question he could finally initiate interaction.
After 41 hours over 19 days, we were able to photograph 680 people from 76 different countries
From Cape Verde to Macedonia, from Argentina to Canada, from Japan to Costa Rica and from Angola to Australia… Almost 50% of the world’s nationalities were concentrated in one square metre in only a bit more than a day and a half when all the hours are added up.
Each person who was photographed left us a little information about themselves: Name – Sex – Nationality – Age and a message they wanted to submit along with the photo.
This allowed us to gather some interesting statistics:
- People photographed: 680
- Nationalities: 76
- Average age: 23.2 years old
- Women: 46.4%
- Men: 53.6%
It was a month full of interaction, exchanges and good vibes that came and went. It was a month in which we heard a lot of stories.
We took note that various people feel and identify with nationalities not recognized by the UN: from a Californian to a few citizens of the world. It was not surprising to find some Galicians or many Basques and Catalans, but we did not expect to find someone whose stated nationality was Madrid, some Cornish people and someone with at least four nationalities and a story that we will never forget.
We also were told some stories that allowed us to confirm that life is like a film. For example: an Australian woman met an Argentine man on a plane, and eleven years later they were telling the story as a couple to a stranger taking photos on the beach. Or the story of a Mexican woman and a Spanish man who sent each other love letters for 20 years until, after so much time and many changes, they could finally be together.
Yet perhaps the most surprising story of all was about someone whose nationality was extraterrestrial. He told us his stories but we were not completely convinced, though with time we have become to believe them more and more.
