David de Limon
This little figure can be found all over Valencia, and I even know the artist behind it—his name is David de Limón. He started creating this character in 1998, a completely black figure with a balaclava, but where its heart is, there’s a small red heart. Starting in the El Carmen district, where this figure […]
Rabbits
I photographed two rabbits (V39 and V78). Are they connected? In a way, yes. Both come from a burnt-out café in Ruzafa, and for years, I’ve wondered why it hasn’t been renovated and put back into use. Honestly, I don’t know the name of the café, but the two rabbits did catch my attention. Although, […]
Viva
The couple from the early 60s is about to do something fun, maybe dance or something else enjoyable. They definitely seem excited. On the right, the little martian with the gas mask is giving a fascist salute. Is there fascism in Mexico? There’s plenty of drug cartels, but apparently, fascism too. This could possibly be […]
Shapes
Of course, it’s difficult, but can you see letters as meaningless shapes that are beautiful in themselves, without having to convey anything? In this photo, it works quite well. It reminds me of the famous Belgian painter Magritte, who painted a pipe and added the words: “This is not a pipe.” Of course, it wasn’t—it […]
Context
The little figure is by the street artist David de Limon. He can be seen everywhere in the El Carmen neighborhood and increasingly in the Ruzafa area. I think I even came across him in Cabanyal, although I’m not entirely sure anymore. The presence of this little figure all over the city must provoke a […]
#Staysafe
In 2020, we all went into an ‘intelligent lockdown,’ and somewhere in 2022, the measures were lifted. In Spain, however, you still had to wear a face mask for quite some time. It was an unbelievable time, and this photo serves as a poignant reminder of it. #Staysafe still hangs throughout Valencia, slowly fading as […]
Smile
A smile from ear to ear, with bleached white teeth. He has large ears that he uses to hold his mask, which he wears over his eyes. Now we know why he’s smiling so broadly—he’s mocking the COVID rules. Or maybe it’s a bit more lighthearted, and he’s simply making a joke, serving as comic […]
You Are What You Eat
The person who stuck Nietzsche and Marx together knew what they were doing. Both are exponents of atheism, which gained increasing traction in Europe in the late 19th century, but they arrived at completely different philosophies. Marx wanted to make the world more just, or rather, he predicted that it would inevitably happen because revolution […]
Big brother
A beautiful summary of the Corona period. Above, a poster with #Staysafe, and below, a large eye. It’s, of course, a coincidence that these two images appear together in one photo. The artists probably didn’t respond to each other but worked independently. Still, they make a striking combination because together, they so effectively capture the […]
Roller Shutter
Sticking a poster onto a roller shutter that opens and closes every day as the shop opens and closes results in this. Putting a poster there doesn’t make much sense. The message is less visible and wears out faster. The person who put it up clearly wasn’t very invested in the message they were trying […]