Through time and elements; through hope and despair; through the eyes of the ones who once left and fought the ruthless sea; the ones who stayed and faced the shape of history, and us, who came in wonder, Havana stands as a monument to resilience.
Cities are made to outlive ideas and Havana is as strong a proof of it as there could ever be. Each of its buildings shows us a personality, a specific moment in time and a powerful sense of ideology; they’re all pieces of a historical puzzle of styles ranging from the Colonial and Baroque; the spanish influenced Neo-Classical of the 19th century around El Malecón; the early 20th century’s elegance of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco; all the way to the Strong forms of the Constructivism brought by the Soviet Union, down the Carlos III Avenue; yet they’re all tied together by the signs of time, carved deeply into their facades.
Still -despite of the sense of abandonment that may be caused by shattered glass, broken walls or fallen balconies- this city is staying strong somehow; all those ideas lost in time will always be replaced by the sense of survival instinct, and maybe impending happiness. These are all buildings refusing to die, as long as there’s a light on somewhere.
About Daniel Garay Arango
I’m a colombian photographer, specialized in black and white, fine art architectural and street photography. I’m in a permanent quest for the unknown, escaping the everyday routine. Using black and white and imagination as my main tools, I try to take the city to a whole new level and meaning, revealing what always hides in plain sight. My work is an exercise of patient observation. Exploiting architecture as my main language, I want my photographs to be timeless. There’s no day or age, just light, textures and shapes. [Official Website]
