Opening 3 April
From 3 April to 27 April.
Francesc Fàbregas. “En Directe”
Exhibition Hall: Caló de s’Oli Auditorium - Carrer de Málaga, 1
Cala de Bou.
Francesc Fàbregas, a direct witness to the musical phenomenon in Barcelona in the 70s and 80s, brings us a selection from his extensive photographic archive that spans from the late 70s to the present day. Under the title “En Directe”, the photographer brings the viewer unique moments from the great concerts of artists such as Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones or the legendary Bob Marley concert on the island of Ibiza.
About the exhibition:
The collection of photographs “En directe”, shot by Francesc Fàbregas,
refers us to a visual score that oscillates between the chronicle and the graphic testimony of an entire era. As if they were musical notes, the photographer places a series of portraits on the staff of time that serve to compose a melody that evokes the history of music and its protagonists.
In his images, Fàbregas does not seek to capture the photographic impact produced by the spectacular lighting effects of a concert. Nor the impressive setting that usually surrounds the protagonists. And much less, the photogenic quality of an audience given over to the trance of the celebration. Fàbregas strips the character of the paraphernalia of the concert and seeks to capture the essentials: the body, the soul, the expression, the look and, above all, the voice.
I believe that a good portrait is the work of two: the photographer and the photographed. For this magical moment to occur, a generous and complete commitment is necessary on both sides. It could be said that, in these images, the photographer is devoid of complicity, because the person in front of the camera can only give themselves over to their own interpretation. It is the skill and know-how of the shooter who must face alone the search and choice of that unrepeatable moment that must be frozen in time. Fàbregas perfectly masters
this terrain: his way of looking and his way of seeing give this collection of photographs an unquestionable documentary value, but, above all, his own and unrepeatable authorial stamp.
Manuel Outumuro
About the Photographer:
Francesc Fàbregas (Sant Just Desvern, Barcelona, 1950) began his career in the 70s as a photographer in important media such as Vibraciones, Rock de Lux, Fotogramas, Interviu, and El País, as well as collaborating with publishers such as Planeta and record companies such as EMI and RCA. His work is extensively documented in the book Música pels ulls (2012), which includes portraits of national and international artists from 1970 to 1990.
He has exhibited in cities such as Barcelona, Madrid, Chicago, and Kyoto, participating in prominent events such as the Fotòpsia Festival, Getxophoto, and the Porta Ferrada Festival. For more than a decade, he directed the Formentera Fotogràfica festival.
In his television career, he has been linked to TV3, creating and directing cultural and musical programs such as Sputnik and Jazz & Co, and has been awarded prizes such as the Ciutat de Barcelona (1991) and the “Toni Catany” Culture Prize (2022). He is also a member of the Committee of the National Plan for Photography of Catalonia.
