Vistalegre
Vistalegre
2024
All Spaniards are entitled to enjoy decent and adequate housing. The public authorities shall promote the necessary conditions and shall establish appropriate standards in order to make this right effective, regulating land use in accordance with the general interest in order to prevent speculation.
– Article 47 of the Spanish Constitution of 1978
«Vistalegre» offers a panoramic view of the Spanish housing market and invites viewers to explore a selection of properties in the city of Barcelona listed on the real estate platform Idealista in early June 2024. It compiles a total of 24 screenshots of photographs taken from various listings on the site, synthesizing the severe housing crisis and the moral failure of a society that allows low quality housing to be offered at exorbitant prices — homes that often don’t even meet minimum standards of habitability, health, or safety.
Architecture Folded In – The Aesthetics of Crisis
Folded in accordion-style, the photographs reappear transformed into an element that both enhances and protects the domestic space: they form a set of shifting, dancing curtains whose pleats blur and confuse the original pictorial content at first glance. Only a careful look reveals the disgraceful reality they portray. For added drama, the curtains don’t frame a window open to the outside, but instead leave the viewer facing a bare wall, evoking a sense of unease and signaling the absence of any future prospects. A brief note, composed from fragments of the listings themselves, becomes the viewer’s focal point.
Through folding, the images shift from a two-dimensional plane to a three-dimensional form, allowing some of the most striking elements of the interiors to be emphasized and linking us back to the architectural space. Notably, «Vistalegre» spans just one square meter, an area that, at the time of the artwork’s creation, cost a staggering €4,417 to purchase or €21.60 to rent in Barcelona, while the modal or most frequent salary in Spain was €18,503 gross per year.
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY!
Magnificent flat on Vistalegre Street
The property is in its original condition and requires renovation, perfect for you to design and personalize every corner to your liking. Although it has no elevator, its unique charm and character make every step worthwhile. It has a certificate of occupancy, though the ceiling height is only two meters. Armored door at the entrance. Very suitable for seasonal rental to tourists given the area. Because you’re special, your home should be too.