Photographed over a span of three years, El Raval is a lyrical portrait of Barcelona’s Chinatown (“Barri Xines” in Catalan) just prior to the crush of overtourism and gentrification that characterizes the neighborhood today. Consisting of hundreds of 35mm photographs, negatives, and undeveloped rolls of film, this collection of images comprises one of the most extensive contemporary visual documents of the district.
Before Airbnbs and craft breweries dotted its labyrinthine corridors, El Raval was historically an immigrant community of Filipinos, Pakistanis, Indians, and Eastern Europeans. Positioned adjacent to the Mercat de la Boqueria, one of the largest food markets in Europe, and the Museu d’Art Contemporani - both tourist magnets - it was only a matter of time before the layered commotion of the the neighborhood vanished into something more familiar.
The interior photographs were taken in La Valenciana, a traditional family-owned bakery situated on the corner of Carrer del Lleo and Carrer de la Paloma.
For more information about exhibiting or purchasing prints from the series, please contact erin.danna@gmail.com
