Advertisement

Barcelona snubs prize-winning bullfighter photo

George Mills
George Mills - [email protected]
Barcelona snubs prize-winning bullfighter photo
Spanish bullfighter Juan José Padilla lost an eye after being gored by a bull in 2011. Photo: Jorge Guerrero/AFP

Barcelona's town hall has turned its nose up at a decision by the city's Centre of Contemporary Culture to use a photograph of a one-eyed bullfighter to promote an exhibition of the images from the World Press Photo 2013 contest.

Advertisement

The photo, Bullfighter's Comeback by Spain's Daniel Ochoa de Olza, portrays Spanish bullfighter Juan José Padilla with a patch over one eye.

Padilla, also known as the 'Cyclone of Jerez' lost sight in that eye and suffered paralysis to part of his face after a goring by a bull in 2011.

The 38-year-old needed major reconstructive surgery and a titanium plate implant.

Madrid-based de Olza's portrait shows Padilla on the day of his return to the ring five months later.

After the comeback fight, he was lifted and carried from the ring  by one of his fellow bullfighters — an honour reserved for only the best performers.

A section of de Olza's prize-winning portrait of Spanish bullfighter Juan José Padilla. Photo courtesy of World Press Photo.

de Olza, originally from Pamplona, won second prize in the Observed Portraits section of the World Press Photo competition for the image.

There is no blood, and no animals are visible, but Barcelona's town hall doesn't want the portrait on the promotional banners that hang from the city's lamp posts.

"We give up this space for free so that events can be promoted which match with the values of our 'Barcelona Inspires' campaign,'" a spokesperson for the city's town hall told Spanish news agency Efe.

The town hall has voiced instead its preference to a black and white portrait of an unemployed person by Dutch photographer Ananda van der Pluijm.

"This is not a veto," the Barcelona town hall spokesperson stressed.

"We wanted to see more options and choose the one that suited us the most and matched the values of Barcelona Inspires.

"This one (by the Dutch photographer) seemed better and that's why we will use it."

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also