The Paradoxical Nature Of Octavi Serra’s Photography

Barcelona-based artist and photographer Octavi Serra’s work is centered around capturing the ironies, truisms, and frustrations of modern life. Optical illusions and waste products are presented in public spaces and then photographed as part of an engaging philosophical series.

The Spanish artist’s liberal work is a sign of the times, and a reaction to the dissatisfaction with the current social landscape. Serra builds conceptual installations that both poke fun at current culture, and question with much seriousness, the status quo: each image portrays a message about some type of socio-political issue. Be it surveillance, greed, corruption, environmental destruction, egoism, technology, or consumerism, no stone is left unturned. The donut tempting you to ‘Just Do It’ with its infamous Nike tick, a clock portraying the obsession with spending all of our time at work, or encouraging the viewer to literally leave their doubts in the garbage bin, are some examples of this portrayal. Whatever the aspect, Serra’s sense of disillusionment is apparent. In a recent interview, he warns: “They have sold us a base pattern to live in the world, [and] if we do not make an effort to overcome it or change it, it’s easy to end up looking like automata”.