Hello, I'm
ROB RITZENHEIN
Vila Casas
The Vila Casas exhibition runs for one year from June 2026 to June 2027. It inludes 23 images photographed across six groups of photographers, 17 in total.
We spent 6 weeks photographing the coast of Poblenou. Over that time, as a group, we culled and selected images for the exhibition. Over 100 images were selected for consideration.
Shown here are a series of images I captured as part of this project. The experience was truly transformative. I am incredibly proud of my team, which included myself, Roberta Knox and Cesc Bordas.
Below is the exhibition description. You can view the full exhibit along with artist bios at sempreelmar.com
"El mar, sempre el mar seeks to reflect the pulse, the characters, and the profound diversity of the El Poblenou coastline, as seen by seventeen photographers from twelve different countries.
El Poblenou beaches stand as an unmistakable symbol of 21st century Barcelona. Few of us can imagine that just over forty years ago this landscape did not exist. Its reconquest reshaped not only the physical coastline but also the city's social and leisure practices. Today, these beaches bring together locals and visitors of all ages as a kaleidoscopic reflection of the city's Mediterranean soul - one of leisure, sport, cultural exchange, connection and conviviality. Along the shore you will find skaters, surfers, sailors, dancers, and swimmers all year round, a vibrant community co-existing with workers who maintain the space and others that briefly escape their daily obligations. Here cultures merge, unified by the simple pleasures of sun, sand, and sea.
This project also acknowledges the contemporary challenges of the city and El Poblenou neighborhood, including tourist massification and social imbalance. The activities and characters captured are as diverse as the perspectives of the photographers involved. Some images emerge from the curiosity and admiration of those arriving from elsewhere, while others are shaped by local sensitivity, often carrying a quiet sense of protective pride.
During weeks of fieldwork, understanding life at the beach required us to belong to it as participants and observers. In doing so, we became witnesses of the passage of time, held captivated by the ever-present sea, always the sea.
El mar, sempre el mar is a physical and online installation conceived and produced for the Can Framis Museum by the students of the Elisava Master in Photography and Design 2025-2026, in collaboration with Vila Casas Foundation.
A project by the Elisava Master in Photography and Design 2025-2026."