RPNUNYEZ
// Rpnunyez´s work is a deeply personal exploration of the human condition. Rather than simply capturing images of the world around him, he is seeking to uncover universal truths. His photographs are not mere representations of reality; they are intimate reflections of his own soul and on the underlying essence of his subjects. His pictures invite viewers to contemplate their own experiences and perceptions. Rpnunyez is based in Murcia, Spain.
Rpnunyez is a self-taught photographer who began his career by building a darkroom and immersing himself in the techniques of Ansel Adams. His particular approach to photography has guided his work across various projects, including Sema: The Ritual Dance of the Whirling Dervishes, Red Blood, The Trilogy (consisting of Indian Diaries, Persian Diaries, and Abisinian Diaries), and Tubabus and Fatafius (De Dignitate Hominis).
“We can differentiate ourselves by race, color, language, wealth and politics, but consider what we have in common: dreams, laughter, tears, pride, the comfort of a home and the desire to love … If I could photograph these universal truths…”
Wayne Miller
What draws you to the arts?
It’s a very good question with a difficult answer. I can appreciate any artistic manifestation simply for the pleasure of observing or knowing it, but most of the time I approach art, both passively or actively, with the firm conviction that art is an insuperable transformative tool and, to paraphrase the Spanish poet Gabriel Celaya, it is a weapon loaded with future. And as he said, I tend to avoid art “conceived as a cultural luxury by neutrals…”.
What do you like best about this project?
I would like to believe that the whole project is capable of pricking the consciences of the viewers (the main purpose of the project) by making them reflect on the possibility that so much horror and suffering could happen again. On the possibility that we ourselves could repeat history not only as victims but, what is even more disturbing, as executioners.
Rpnunyez conceived his photographic project, “BERLIN: THE UNBEARABLE BURDEN OF THE PAST” after visiting the memorial to the atrocities committed by the Nazi regime. It serves as a stark reminder of the horrors perpetrated by Germans in World War II. Through his lens, pictures of modern cityscapes blended with those of historical events and figures become a haunting testament to a dark chapter in human history. The project aims to prevent complacency, urging viewers to confront the past and consider the consequences of forgetting. It is a visual warning against the perils of repeating history.
To look at the Berlin memorials is not only to delve into Nazi terror, not only to delve into a dark past from which we have all experienced the consequences — would our world have been the same without the Third Reich? — but to face the essence of the human being. This photographic project is less about external documentation and more about internal exploration, acting as a counterbalance to oblivion.
Rpnunyez chose black and white to convey his message. He envisions the world as a multi-layered canvas, cloaked in a vibrant spectrum. He believes that by removing colour, he can penetrate these layers to uncover the fundamental forms and structures that lie beneath. For him, black and white photography is more than a mere absence of hue; it is a method for stripping away superficialities to reveal the raw, essential core of reality. It’s as if he’s undressing the world, searching for its true essence.
About this project he says:
Delving into the Berlin memorials was a shocking experience; in a few days the images of the modern Berlin of today began to blur and my dreams became nightmares in which images of horror, of victims and executioners, appeared in a kind of dance of ethereal ghosts whispering to me what they once were and what myself, all of us, could be again.
I would like to believe that the enormous material, pedagogical and emotional effort made by German society has borne fruit and will continue to do so; I would like to believe that, as a species, we are capable of avoiding the mistakes of the past. But considering the rise of the far right across Europe and the scorn for human rights across the globe, it seems more than reasonable to have doubts in this respect.
Apart from the latter, I can only think of one more reason to bring the project to light. A reason masterfully put into words by Holocaust survivor Primo Levi: “It happened, so it can happen again … It can happen, and it can happen everywhere”.
Unlike his previous work, the photographer seeks to convey the profound impact of confronting Nazi terror through Berlin’s memorials rather than simply documenting them. By sharing this harrowing experience, he aims to evoke a sense of unease and reflection in the viewer. The images in these collages are disturbing, but we believe it is imperative to share them. Let this be a reminder to never forget.
Images may be cropped for layout. Click on the photos to see a larger version with titles.
ALL PHOTOS © Rpnunyez
We suggest you also visit Rpnunyez´s Instagram page and his website for more of his work.
A note on picture sources: All the historical photos used in his series are exhibited in memorials in Berlin, where he photographed them and used them as a basis for his photo collages. Rpnunyez prefers to be known by his artist name.
SPECTACULUM MAGAZINE 