The first time that Oriol Admetlla sent a photograph to La Vanguardia’s Readers’ Photos was in 2012, when at Christmas time the newspaper asked its readers for photographs of a festive atmosphere. The snapshot was liked and was finally published.
More than a decade later, this Barcelona City Council worker, on the same dates, decided to try his luck for the second time with another image hoping to be chosen again, which evidently has happened. And not only that, but it was one of those chosen as the Best Reader Photo of the month of December 2023.
His image of the nativity scene is again Christmas-themed, however, this time rather than portraying something merely festive, he has chosen to capture a scene of deeper meaning: Some Muslim women contemplating the nativity scene in Plaza Sant Jaume. Far from being a casual image, with it Admetlla sought to incite reflection on religion, intercultural dialogue and the conjugation of what is his own with what is foreign.
How and when did you take the photograph?
I was spending a morning in Plaza Sant Jaume and I stopped to look at the manger because I had not seen it yet. And, when I was contemplating it, this group of Muslim women stood in front of me with a girl who was explaining the nativity scene to them. I really liked the contrast between the two things, so I took out my phone and took four or five photos from various angles. I had some doubts because I didn’t know if I should do them, since in the end I was photographing people and you always have to be careful with that. In the end, I took them when their backs were turned and no one was identified. It’s a very neutral photo and I don’t think anyone would feel upset. That was the genesis of this photograph.
Were you surprised that it was chosen as one of the best photos of the month of December? Why did you decide to send it to La Vanguardia?
Yes and no. Really, it didn’t surprise me, but it is a photo that has a lot of intention for the time we were in, in the middle of Christmas, and it is also very timely given the turbulent times on a social level that we are experiencing. I sent it because I really liked the combination of colors and, also, the situation of contrast between two different realities: that of Muslim women in a space that was so Christian at that time, which reflects Christmas with a modern interpretation of the manger. That enchanted me. Also, and not to be vain, but I think the photograph is artistically beautiful. I like it and the people I’ve shared it with also like it. Adding all these factors, I thought that La Vanguardia would have a good photo to publish in the current context. It is also true that it is very different from the photos that are usually published in the newspaper. If you want to see photos with social themes or people, there are few.
Are you fond of photography?
Yes, for many years. When I’m away, the camera rarely stays at home, whether it’s the big one, the small one or the one on my cell phone, which is now also a complete photographic weapon. I started taking photos regularly at 15-16 years old. My first camera was a Zenit, a Russian camera that some joked that it was better suited for driving nails, because it was so heavy. At that time I was in a scouting group and there were many people interested in photography. Two leaders were great amateurs and you always saw them with cameras hanging when we went here and there, as did many of my friends. At home we also liked photography. In the end, you put all that together and you see that you feel comfortable doing it, and that in addition to being a memory for you, the rest of the people like it. With that you get interested and try to improve in a self-taught way.
What type of photography attracts you the most?
I like nature a lot. In the mountains you are always in a pleasant space, which always invites you to take photographs. Likewise, I really like portraits. Taking a portrait requires patience. Finding an expression that is natural in the other person and that they identify with, I think is very satisfying. Plus, we don’t always have to be smiling. In a portrait you can be pensive, absorbed, going through pain, sorrow and take an image of it. If that photograph expresses that feeling, I understand that it is also a good portrait and a good photograph.
Do you prefer to take photos with your cell phone or with a traditional camera?
The camera offers you many more possibilities. That is, I have light options, objectives, resolutions, combinations. But mobile phones also increasingly offer more possibilities. That is, if before they were mobile phones that had a camera, now they are cameras that have a built-in phone. There are cell phones that do real tricks. I understand that each type of camera at the moment allows you to take a different type of photography. And so, if you are lucky enough to be able to have different machines with different elements to take photos, you can achieve different results, although sometimes with a big camera you can do the same thing as with a mobile phone, but you can’t go everywhere like you would. with a phone. So, that is, if you have diverse options, you will have a larger field to have power. That is, the elements to take the photograph are important.
What message is your photography trying to convey? Is there a tacit reference to any specific current events, such as the war in Gaza?
Yes. There is reference to different conflicts in the world, both social and warlike, such as Israel and Gaza or South-North immigration. I think that in the case of South-North immigration, we must start thinking about how it is solved in a real way, because the problem cannot be solved with a blindfold. That is to say, I believe that we should opt for a real dialogue, bring positions together and talk and not just seek balance. Because equilibria are unstable and sooner or later they fall. We must look for solutions of understanding, try to understand the other party. With this it is also necessary that both parties want to agree. There is no need to go with the lily in your hand either. Welcoming is something that we have the obligation to do, but it does not mean giving up a whole series of values ??and social achievements that we have as a society, achieved throughout life. Someone will say that it is a bit naïve, but we must ensure that we all feel comfortable, without giving up everything we have earned.
What did you think of the manger in Plaça Sant Jaume?
Well, it seems that the custom is that every Christmas there is a nativity scene that always causes controversy. The justification that I understand the City Council gives is that society must reinterpret the classic nativity scene. It is normal that there are those who like the more classic version and those who like the more modern one. There have been years when I haven’t liked it and I haven’t understood it, although I don’t dislike the version that was made this year. I wouldn’t give it a 9, but I understand that it has been good. While being a modern nativity scene, I think that this year, it has classic elements of what we can understand as a nativity scene. That is to say, there is the caganer, there is a Christmas tree, there are people celebrating a table, there are family groups. I must say, however, that when a photograph is taken of the setup, it does not look the same as it does in person. When you see the photograph, this manger looks like a canvas, and there are actually different panels, with different perspectives. It’s not all on one plane.
Are you a believer?
My way. That is, I am within different groups and grassroots communities that we self-manage. I am not one to go to mass every Sunday, but with friends and my wife we ??have found spaces where we feel comfortable and can reflect, think or meditate. We celebrate it day by day. But at the same time I am critical. I think we must be critical, but trying to contribute something positive, because women still cannot access all areas of the Church. It is the great challenge. That is, sometimes we want to solve external problems, but we must also be able to resolve our inconsistencies.
Do you think that a nativity scene can be a meeting place between Muslims and Christians, despite the controversy surrounding religious representation between both religions? What do you think would be the best way to promote interreligious dialogue without so much cultural clash?
Doing pedagogy, explaining what a manger is and what it represents, what each figure means and the meaning it has. That is, let us not be afraid to say what and who represents each thing. If we come from a past in which the three kings are three men, then let’s explain why they were three men; And if we have some shepherds and they are in a certain space, let’s explain what some shepherds mean. Let’s explain everything but let’s do pedagogy. And in the Islamic festivals that are celebrated here in Barcelona or those of other religions, let’s explain what they mean, just like when we see a procession. The same for Buddhist holidays or Jewish Hanukkah. That is to say, what interreligious dialogue always consists of is seeking meeting points between different religions and sharing experiences. I believe that all religions have common points. Obviously, each of them has its liturgical manifestations, which must be respected, including ours. But we must look for spaces where we can all be together and create a pedagogy that we all identify, and that we all understand. And this photography? Well, it may be a beginning of understanding that a group of Muslim women are interested in a manger. I think he is good. In the same way as we travel or have access to material or documents of Muslim culture, we approach it from ignorance. It is only from knowledge that we can solve or try to solve.
Is Barcelona a welcoming and multicultural city?
The multicultural concept is very complex. Is it multiculturalism to walk along Passeig de Gràcia seeing people from all countries? You can say it’s multicultural. But when you move in certain environments, neighborhoods and places, perhaps it is monocultural, ghettos are formed and cultural barriers are raised. Is the fact that we have many groups of people located in different places in the city something multicultural and multiethnic? In Barcelona there is the generic concept of multicultural. That is, the city is open and everyone can have their space at the work level, at the social level, at the cultural level or at the technological level. And if you look, yes it is multicultural, but we must make it be in the rest of the environment, so that everyone can move freely everywhere. That we could have people from different social realities speaking. But one thing is the term, which is very beautiful, very colorful, and another is reality. At the level of words, yes, we are multicultural, but at the level of facts, there would be things that are not, that would not be multicultural.
Is multiculturalism the future or are we tending towards the opposite, with the rise of messages against immigration? And do you think religious hatred is on the rise?
There is an increase in messages that go against immigration. That is, all extremes are bad in the sense that they will always deny the reality of the other. “Let’s not let people come” or “let’s not let them express themselves”, “let’s not let them move freely.” They are the first tools that are used. The speeches that are being made are very dangerous and are inflammatory.
Do you participate in charitable causes? Because?
Yes, I come from the world of scouting and the world of volunteering is an important element. When my children went to school, I was involved for many years in different things they did there. I am also part of Arrels, where I am on various projects two afternoons a week. I am also in Migra Studium, a Jesuit foundation that supports young immigrants. With a group of friends, a year ago we decided to collaborate and present a project to take young foreigners out of the city, taking them to the mountains and to different natural spaces, which is being well received. I am also part of a group called Xammar, which is a small volunteer group that is linked to the monastery of Sant Benet de Montserrat. Beyond these three elements, if specific collaborative things come up and I find them interesting, I participate in them. For me, volunteering is an important part of what I do on a daily basis.
Is there a lack of solidarity in our society?
Actually, there is much more than we imagine. The thing is that sometimes it is hidden. I believe that at the grassroots level, which is what I know best, there are many groups that are doing many things. It is one of the riches of our country, the grassroots social movement that transcends to larger movements or more important entities. There are many people who do more things than we can imagine.
And is there enough empathy?
Sometimes yes. That is, you need to put yourself in the other’s shoes. Sometimes you have to want to better understand the why of things. Because you must lend a hand and put yourself in the other’s shoes. Empathizing from knowledge and pedagogy is the basis for me.
