SUSO

RESIDUAL SPACE

Photographer Xavier Ribas explores the culture of leisure in and around Barcelona.

"Xavier Ribas dissects the phenomenon of entertainment, of leisure, of what people do in their ‘free’ time, showing the extent to which such activities take place in the city’s residual spaces. Quite spontaneously, people preserve, manage and recycle these spaces, effectively keeping them out of the efficient, productive order of the city: places for walking, sunbathing, picknicking, sport and exercise...

It seems paradoxical that these spaces - not yet codified, as yet without regulation - are where people still have a chance to take the initiative. As Ribas concludes: ‘Freedom can only flourish in a residual space that might, as a result, have a desolate appearance’. Although his documentary approach is guided primarily by an interest in anthropology and urbanism that leads to narrative images laden with little anecdotes, the photography - at once incisive and indulgent - sets out to imbue that desolation with a touch of Mediterranean irony."

The above extract, from Joan Fontcuberta's text on the photographer, captures the essence of Ribas's work, and raises questions about how we relate to the city and how the city relates to us. If you like this, look out for Dan Raven Ellison's brilliant Urban Earth piece in the upcoming 'Explore' issue of Susology magazine.

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By on 29/10/08