An exhibition titled Icons has opened in the center of Barcelona, featuring 150 works by renowned American photographer Steve McCurry. The show at Palau Martorell is one of the most extensive retrospectives of the artist in Spain in recent years. The main focus is on portraits of people caught in the midst of war, poverty, and forced migration.
The iconic photograph “the Afghan girl,” which became a symbol of refugee suffering after it appeared on the cover of National Geographic in 1985, holds a special place in the exhibition. Next to it is a new portrait, taken in 2002 in Peshawar, where another Afghan girl in a green scarf serves as a reminder that the issue of displaced persons remains relevant today.
Steve McCurry, who personally presented the exhibition, emphasized that beyond his most famous image, his work spans dozens of countries and thousands of human stories. The halls of Palau Martorell feature photos from Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, as well as regions in the Middle East and Africa. Special attention is given to children: from schoolgirls in modest Peshawar classrooms to a young miner from Kabul and young athletes from China’s Henan province.
An important theme of the exhibition is the connection between humans and animals. Among the exhibits are touching scenes from Nepal, where a boy is resting on the back of a cow, and harsher shots capturing the aftermath of wars: for example, an abandoned racehorse on an oil field in Kuwait after the Gulf War. Color, emotion, and everyday details are distinctive features of McCurry’s work, which, according to him, should speak for themselves and do not require additional explanation.
The organizers note that the exhibition became possible thanks to the cooperation between Palau Martorell and Arthemisia, as well as the support from Orion57. The project’s curator is Biba Giacchetti. In 2021, some of these works were already shown in Madrid, but the current exposition has been expanded and supplemented with new photographs.
Despite the heavy themes, McCurry emphasizes that he remains optimistic and believes in change. He notes that even in the most difficult circumstances, there are people who defend the rights of others and do not lose hope. In this context, it is worth recalling how in other regions of Spain, changes in social life and politics are also being discussed—for example, the story about changes in Jaén and the reaction of local residents to the authorities’ decisions shows that the topic of human destiny and change is relevant not only in photography, but also in the real life of the country.
For reference: Steve McCurry was born in 1950 in Philadelphia. He received his first camera at the age of nine and gained worldwide fame for his work from Afghanistan. His photographs are regularly exhibited in major museums around the world. The Icons exhibition in Barcelona will be open until September 6. Palau Martorell is located in the historic center of the city and often hosts major cultural events.
