'Photo by Photo' at Metropolitan Museum

MANILA, Philippines - The Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila will present a photo exhibit titled “Photo by Photo: A portrait of Spain” at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, located at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Manila. This is part of Jose Rizal’s 150th birth anniversary.

The show opens today at 4 p.m. with the attendance of the Ambassador of Spain, H.E. Jorge Domecq, as well as directors of AC/E and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

“Photo by Photo: A Portrait of Spain” is a visual journey that depicts the evolution of Spanish cities and their inhabitants from the ’50s until the present day, focusing on the two cities where Rizal lived and studied: Madrid and Barcelona. Cities where, as a young man, he began to conceive what was to be his first novel and one of the most important works of Philippine literature. Additional materials and texts that reflect his impressions on the cities will be also included by the Metropolitan Museum of Manila.

The exhibit offers 60 snapshots taken by 15 of the best Spanish photographers who, from the middle of the last century up to the present, have carried out their work starting from their personal approaches and visions that differ not only in the content but also in the aesthetic way of addressing the representation.

Featured photographers are Israel Ariño, José Manuel Ballester, Jordi Bernadó, Juan Manuel Castro Prieto, Francesc Catalá-Roca, Alberto García-Alix, Gonzalo Juanes, Fernando Manso, Ángel Marcos, Ramón Masats, Juan Millás, José Manuel Navia, Txema Salvans, Marta Soul and Miguel Trillo.

The exhibition is organized by Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines and the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, with the collaboration of Instituto Cervantes and Cámara Española, and the sponsorship of Alfonso I, Centunion, Indra, Unión Fenosa and Indra.

Gonzalo Juanes

The exhibit will be available for public viewing from Oct. 25 to Jan. 14, 2011.

For information, call The Metropolitan Museum at 523-0613, 536-1566, e-mail info@metmuseum.ph, or the Embassy of Spain at 817-6676 local 112, e-mail emb.manila@maec.es.