The photographs by Jordi Esteva (Barcelona, 1951) are photos of this time, but from another place. They question the supremacy of Western culture and shift the axis to other parts of the planet that for us belong to worlds of legend, but for the artist they are places where he has lived, and that is how he has photographed them.
Choosing the contemplation of that slow and ancient world, that was about to disappear, was the hunch that enabled the growth of a dense, deep and singular work, that is unequalled, without a tribe, in the panorama of Spanish photography. Jordi Esteva's work is free because it only obeys principles as mandates of fate, far from the concept of triumph, the applause of critics or the presence in festivals and galleries.
Over the last few years, Jordi Esteva has been writing El impulso nómada (The nomadic impulse) (Galaxia Gutenberg, 2021). The photographs in this exhibition are a necessary complement to the book and help us delve into that experience-based narrative. It is a graphic, autonomous and indispensable tale for an artist who is talented in both visual art and literature. With these images, those beautiful moments return with even greater intensity, those experiences that have made Jordi Esteva who he is today. Photography, distinct from literature, blesses us with a perceptive point of view to enter those scenes without the need for a guide. Let’s go further, as the artist did, and explore the realms of dreams.
Curated by Laura Terré.
