![Book Flatlay Cover Front Transparent Trio[1]](https://d31dpzy4bseog7.cloudfront.net/media/2024/06/07080212/Book_Flatlay_Cover_Front_Transparent_Trio1.png)
Through the Lens of Time Photographer Dave Kulesza’s New Series
Melbourne photographer Dave Kulesza returns with a new series, ‘UTOPÍA – Built Forms of Ricardo Bofill’, a journey into one of the world’s most recognisable and Instagrammable buildings.
Over the course of his career, Dave Kulesza and his trusty camera have travelled to many foreign locales in search of frames. From Pyongyang and Tokyo to Melbourne and Mansfield, the photographer has had the pleasure of capturing an enviable range of famous buildings, but says exploring the work of inimitable Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill is by far one of his most ‘magical’ experiences to date.
“Colour, nostalgic architecture and unworldly buildings are perhaps the three criteria that really draw me to an architectural subject – La Muralla Roja ticked all these boxes.”
Kulesza’s latest series utilises his unique perspective to capture Bofill’s fortress-like apartment building La Muralla Roja (The Red Wall), immortalising its bold pink exterior and maze of stairwells in all its vibrant beauty. The Melbourne-based photographer travelled to Calpe in eastern Spain in early 2024 in search of the iconic 1968-designed building, located where the land meets the sea, creating a fantastical environment, as the built form battles against the natural beauty of place.
“Colour, nostalgic architecture and unworldly buildings are perhaps the three criteria that really draw me to an architectural subject – La Muralla Roja ticked all these boxes,” says Kulesza. “Once you’re inside, it feels like a place like no other, with its bubbly colour and labyrinth of steps and spaces.”
Over the course of four days, Kulesza traversed the famed eight-storey ode to architectural expressionism. Living among the residents, he was able to fully immerse himself in the magical world of La Muralla Roja, awaking each morning to an explosion of soft pink and a surge of inspiration.
The surrealist images Kulesza captured have been immortalised in the form of 25 exclusive prints for a new series, ‘UTOPÍA – Built Forms of Ricardo Bofill’, and a 135-page self-published book. An exhibition of the works officially opened at Sera Brighton in Melbourne on 14 November and runs until 1 December. Each limited-edition print is available to purchase in framed or unframed options.
‘UTOPÍA – Built Forms of Ricardo Bofill’, Sera Brighton, 27 Pine Street, Brighton, VIC; until 1 December.
