El Raval Portraits

Landed in Barcelona with our lives in zipper stretched bags and our kids on our backs, we found a tiny one room flat in El Raval. Moving to a new city fluctuates between dream & nightmare, but many residents here are newly arrived & learning a new culture.

We asked people to take three photographs of the neighbourhood, then to choose one image & write their thoughts.

Background:
El Raval is an area historically infamous for its nightlife and cabarets, as well as prostitution and crime, El Raval has changed significantly in recent years. It is currently the home to a very diverse immigrant community, 47% of its population was born abroad, ranging from Pakistanis and Indonesians, to a more recent Eastern European community, especially from Romania. El Raval is also becoming one of the hippest up-and-coming neighborhoods of Barcelona where many artists live and work.

Moving Pictures

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“Being inside it feels that I am in the cage or inside jail.
The travelers and the scenes outside look like moving pictures.”

photographer, Krishna (Nepal)

Saleem’s Mobile Phone Shop

“In our street Sant Antoni Abat, we sell
mobile phones & food very cheap – and it’s very good.
We have a church here as well.”

photographer, Saleem Butt

Paella & Empanadas

“The Raval is a world apart, where the Paella retains
it’s spanish identity, although not its cultural one.”

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“At the door: The young married couple, Chavi & Miguel,
are part of the group of chefs here.”

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“A Romanian waiter and a Dominican companion at the table,
a pulsing place of narrow streets with many origins.”

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