VAIVEN. Six visual journeys back and forth between Spain and the U.S.

An exhibition featuring six photographers from Spain and the U.S. who interpret the realities of both countries from multiple perspectives, creating a visual round trip.

The dichotomy of belonging to two places and the constant play between the influence of cultural background versus the setting, remains the core of this exhibition. Memories, popular culture, identity, the every day life, nature and urban spaces function as starting points to analyze the motivations and expectations that lie behind each photographic series.

The diverse backgrounds of all the artists meet on the common grounds of their intersecting perspectives of both countries. Born in Madrid and raised in Maryland, Ana Hayes-Pérez, explores her personal connection with Spain through souvenirs and family memories. Spanish photographer Raúl Urbina observes Chicago by foregoing its iconic side to focus on the city’s driving forces, from its people to its infrastructures. Hailing from Canada and born to Spanish parents, Chicago based photographer Xavier Nuez uses dark alleys and ruins of the city to turn his pictures into monuments that give dignity to rejected urban spaces. Javier Corso reinterprets the military imagery of Spain through the strong visual references present in the popular culture of the U.S. Tarragona-born photographer Monica Lek uses her photographs of New York to reflect the human reality of the city through portraits of her neighbors. New York-based photographer Carla Tramullas analyzes the process of remembrance with shots snapped on her trips across the US with her grandfather’s Leica.

VAIVEN was created through SPAINred, the Spanish cultural network aimed at creative individuals and institutions willing to explore opportunities related to Spanish culture in the U.S.

View catalog. VIP Preview of VAIVEN with guest photographer Xavier Nuez on November 21 from 4 pm to 5 pm at Instituto Cervantes Albuquerque. In Spanish and English. Free admission. RSVP required: [email protected]. Public opening of VAIVEN and TAPAS exhibits to follow at 5:30 pm.