El tiempo en la sociedad actual de la hipercomunicación discurre tan vertiginosamente que la realidad queda permanentemente sobrepasada por el acontecer diario, de modo y manera que los hechos y eventos que constituyen un hito en nuestras vidas parecen diluirse y desaparecer en medio de la interminable sucesión de acontecimientos que nutren la cotidianidad de nuestra existencia.
Sustraerse a la saturación diaria de noticias, mensajes e imágenes no es una tarea fácil y mucho menos aún cuando el poder político, conformador de la opinión pública, orienta la misma hacia aquellos sesgos ideológicos que más le interesan.
La fotografía cumple, desde su invención, un rol que a veces suele olvidarse en el fragor de la especulación teórica y crítica que se cierne sobre ella, pero que no parece declinar a pesar del transcurso de la historia y que la configura como un artefacto capaz de detener el tiempo.
Es cierto que esa siempre ha sido una de las capacidades propias de la fotografía, acaso la más relevante, pues con ella se hace posible contemplar lo ya acontecido en un instante y un momento histórico dado, pero, también, me gustaría poner de manifiesto que en este tiempo actual de vértigo, esa capacidad sirve además para recordarnos que lo acontecido no es sólo pasado sino igualmente presente.
El documento fotográfico hoy más que nunca se constituye como una herramienta de análisis y de crítica del presente antes que un instrumento de la memoria del pasado.
La serie The Parallel Society de Jordi Ruiz Cirera (1984, Barcelona) realizada hace un breve tiempo continúa presente hoy a pesar del tiempo transcurrido y sus palabras persisten también a pesar de que algunos se empeñen en decir que ya está todo superado.
«At present Spain finds itself mired in an economic crisis that is unprecedented in its severity and dimensions. With 26% unemployment and 500 evictions a day, is nowadays EU’s most polarized country, with over a fifth of its population living below poverty line.
The southern regions which once flourished from a prosperous housing boom saw it rapidly decline. Murcia is the region where building related jobs fell more, as much as a 52%, and the one with biggest house overproduction.
The combination of unemployment, government cuts and lack of resources is leaving hundreds of thousand outcasted from society. This other reality is conformed by former middle class workers, used to steady jobs and good incomes who nowadays find themselves completely lost.»
Jordi Ruiz Cirera.
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- An unfinished real estate development is left abandoned in Fortuna, Murcia.
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- Alejandro visits his uncle’s house, that has been taken away by the bank. Once unemployed, he was unable to pay the quotes and his house taken away. However due to a loss of market value on the property, the bank gave order to foreclosure his mum’s house as well, in order to fulfill the loan.
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- An unfinished real estate development is left abandoned in Fortuna, Murcia.
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- Beniaján, Murcia, Spain. Relatives and frieds of Josefa Espada are waiting for the court representative that has to execute eviction. Josefa signed as guarantor of her sons mortgage, but once unemployed, he was unable to pay the quotes and evicted by the bank. Due to a loss of market value on the sons property, the bank gave order to foreclosure Josefas’ house in order to fulfill the loan. Eviction was stopped on last moment thanks to social pressure led by PAH, Platform of Those Affected by a Mortgage
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- El Palmar, Murcia, Spain. Antonio and Africa are on risk of eviction due to unpaid quotes on their mortgage. With three kids, and Antonio currently unemployed, they are dealing with the bank to ask for a dation in payment that will let them free of debt once the eviction is executed.
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- Beniaján, Murcia, Spain. Relatives and frieds of Josefa Espada are waiting for the court representative that has to execute eviction. Josefa signed as guarantor of her sons mortgage, but once unemployed, he was unable to pay the quotes and evicted by the bank. Due to a loss of market value on the sons property, the bank gave order to foreclosure Josefas’ house in order to fulfill the loan. Eviction was stopped on last moment thanks to social pressure led by PAH, Platform of Those Affected by a Mortgage
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- Gonzalo (right), originally from Ecuador, has spent over 12 years in Murcia, where he bought a flat he now lives in with his three kids and a grandson. Long term unemployed, is on risk of eviction and looking forward to go back to his home country. From a large group of Ecuatorian friends, only one is left, as the rest moved back to their homecountry as the economical situation got difficult in Spain.
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- Molina de Segura, Spain. Unfinished and abandoned properties dot the residential suburbs of Murcia.
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- An abandoned boat on the suburbs of Murcia
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- One of the five kids of Luisa and Jose Antonio. Both unemployed and with no income they go weekly to pick up food from charities as well as ask relatives for help.
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- Luisa and Jose Antonio, both unemployed and with no income, on the flat they live in with their five kids. They go weekly to pick up food from charities as well as ask relatives for help.
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- After 20 years working on the building sector José Luís Moreno is currently unemployed. With no income but benefits he seeks food on the charities and goes daily to lunch at her sisters, also unemployed.
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- After 20 years working on the building sector José Luís Moreno is currently unemployed. With no income but benefits he seeks food on the charities and goes daily to lunch at her sisters, also unemployed.
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- WOOD ZWEI 2 030
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- Dolores with an activist of the Platform of Those Affected by the Mortgage on the day of their third attempt of eviction. Thanks to social pressure lead by the Platform the eviction was not executed.
Foto portada y fotos: de la serie The Parallel Society de Jordi Ruiz Cirera.
