"Untitled". Harbin, China August 2008

Featured in Icon Magazine. Shanghai Expo 2010

http://www.iconeye.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&catid=444:icon-085--july-2010&id=4475:chinas-world-expo

Frame 75 is out

The new issue of Frame Magazine is out now. While in Shanghai the editor  commissioned me to photograph the Dutch Pavilion by John Körmeling. The feature can be seen on a preview at the magazine´s website. Frame, is one of the leading Interior Design publications, and as Mark, is published in Amsterdam.
http://www.framemag.com/framemagazine

Untitled, Shanghai 2010

Life is indeed full of surprises. On my way to an uruguayan restaurant in Bcn where I was recently taken by my friend Marcelo, yesterday I made the most amazing discovery. As he had eaten beef for lunch, Santiago suggested another option. A chinese restaurant. Arola and I looked at one another extremely worried as we feared yet another ghastly den where fowl cantonese food was serve. ( we both had been to Shanghai recently and knew of the delights of good chinese food) But No, it was a truly "Shanghainese" restaurant. Proper chinese restaurant where much to my surprise and delight of course, they serve Dim Sun, Hot and Spicy Sour Soup, hot pot and guess what , "In Sian" Aubergines. I could not believe it. Was my lucky day!

However this photograph was not taken in Barcelona but in Shanghai. In a place so tiny that ventilation had to be "installed " outside. Pure chinese surrealism. Apparently the food was simply exquisite and all locals from the area gathered there for sunday meal. Sadly the place was so crowded that could not find a table to eat.

Icon 085 is out

Icon Magazine issue 085 is out in the shops now featuring several pages with my photographs of the Shanghai Expo 2010. Icon Magazine is published in London and is one of the most respected Architecture and Design Magazines with and international distribution. I began working with Icon back in 2004 and I have been making regular contributions ever since.

http://www.iconeye.com/

Joy of Love.The Bund, Shanghai 2010

Sex Shop, Shanghai 2010

I know its hard to believe but this is a picture of a Sex Shop, a health shop rather.

I decided to take the day off and as I was walking around the city, looking for an antiques market, I found this very odd place. Needless to say that it caught my attention and I could not resist entering to investigate.

"Sexual health shop" read the sign above the entrance of this small cubicle where a variety of condoms, creams, toys and lubricants and some other strange artifacts (and a Siberian Husky for that matter) were on display. I thought it was hilarious so I tried to engage in some conversation with the woman while pretending I was interested in acquiring some of the things she had for sale. Soon I realized that she spoke no english and since my chinese is none existent I desisted. But I did produce my camera and she stood there for few seconds for me to take this photograph. Then she hid and continued making the tea she was preparing when I entered the shop.

"Seed Cathedral" by Thomas Heatherwick at Shanghai Expo 2010

Photographers´s gathering. Shanghai 2010

This photograph of me was taken by Pedro Pegenaute. This is a place I discovered on my first night in Shanghai, just 100 meters from my hotel and it turned out to be a wonderful spot where food was just incredible. On different days I gathered there with colleagues for dinner after very long exhausting days of wondering the Expo site.

There was an brief english menu which I kept of exploring trying almost everything there was in offer. The dumplings were simply magnificent, pork and soups also delicious and the Aubergine with fish sauce was exquisite. Strange enough I had had a similar dish before in Belgrano´s China Town, in a restaurant called " Todos contentos" where I use to go with Magalí.

(As we all know to eat decent chinese food in Spain is simply not possible so every now and then one needs to go all the way to Buenos Aires to have good chinese dinner. Failing that there is always the option of popping down to London; going for lunch in China Town has become a ritual for me everytime I go to England).

By the third day they already knew me so as I was walking in, uttering a polite " Ni hao" they would smile back at me producing without delay, the english menu they knew I was after. Often I just picked it up myself from behind the counter. They didn´t seem to mind as I had become kind of familiar to them.

Food as I said was great, the place was casual, a cantina style.

Dennis Gilbert and I met after many years. I think last time we had dinner together was in Bilbao where we first met while photographing the Guggenheim back in october 97. A night to remember as with Juan de la Cruz, we all ended up on a beach, rather drunk taking pictures of the moon with a brand new lens that Dennis had just bought for his Linhof Technikardan.

I knew of Pedro by his work but we had never met before. It was one of those great surprises. He came to China with Ana, his girlfriend , and we had dinner together a couple of nights.It was very nice meeting them as i think there was instant chemistry, a kind of natural affinity between us. Both were charming and I enjoyed their company very much.

Last time I had seen Roland Halbe was back at the Zaragoza Expo where we both were working on Zaha Hadid´s Bridge Pavilion. Here he was busy working at the press office of the Spanish Pavilion.

Spanish Pavilionby EMBT at Shanghai Expo 2010

http://www.dezeen.com/2010/04/26/spanish-pavilion-at-shanghai-expo-2010-by-embt/

"Views from a Hotel Room", Beijin 2008

"Views from a Hotel Room", Harbin 2008