Fontcuberta attempts to salvage the remains of the photographic substance from the ruins, an element to which we attribute the alchemical power of retaining life, whilst evading the call of death. With ridiculous arrogance, we humans boast of using the camera to beat time and to kidnap experiences and stories, holding them prisoner. Now we realise that although this illusion could have lasted a long time, it does not last forever and in the end, time takes its revenge: the photograph, once the stronghold of memory, becomes amnesic; the image turns into a ghost.

Joan Fontcuberta (Barcelona, 1955) is a well-known artist. He has developed a multidisciplinary activity in the world of photography as a creator, critic, exhibition curator and historian. A visiting professor at universitiesin Spain, France, Great Britain and the USA, he regularly makes contributions in the specialised press. (Pilar Serra press-release)