A young man, age thirteen, launched a crowdfunding campaign about a year ago to edit and publish a photo book called Catharsis. The effort quickly gained momentum, and within three days the requested funds were raised. After the book was published and began to gain attention, interest in the project grew beyond the initial circle. The initiative was started under the umbrella of INFORMACIÓN Club last November and concluded its fundraising phase on January 12, with the proceeds already reaching the public sphere as intended. This turn of events highlighted a community that believed in art’s power to connect people and stories with the wider public. (Source: INFORMACIÓN Club)
The project features about ninety photographs contributed by various artists. One prominent work was a statue by Antonio Molina that has been made available to viewers through an Instagram account named @elchicodel13. The name itself signals a trio of friends united by a shared passion for photography: Sam Molina, Diego Jamón, and Sento MM. The roster expanded to include collaborators such as the poet Enrique Morte and photography professionals Edurne Tolosa, Bea Clavel, Pau Rosser, Borja López, Melina Bolopá, Ade Photography, Ignacio DUN, and Daniel Chaguacedatho, all of whom contributed their visual art to the project. (Source: INFORMACIÓN Club)
One of the sample photos displayed in this collection provided a glimpse into the body of work that informed the book. The exhibition was held exclusively at INFORMACIÓN Club and drew roughly two hundred attendees, who experienced the photographs up close and personal. Following the event, El Chico del 13 decided to make the images available for free. Sam Molina explained that the journey would not have been possible without the audience’s participation and engagement, and that the generous sharing of images marked a meaningful closure to the crowdfunding effort. (Source: INFORMACIÓN Club)
Catharsis is described as a series of inspired photographs that explore dystopian themes amid the backdrop of a forty-year-old conflict. The project seeks to convey questions about what victims of war feel and endure. The photographer aimed to evoke emotions such as resignation and pain, offering viewers a window into the inner lives of those affected by conflict. These are theatrical images that lean on the mood and realism of classic painting, created through collaborative scenes built by friends and family who stage the visual narratives. Influences from Caravaggio and Julio Romero de Torres are evident in the lighting and textural realism, lending a timeless quality to the work. (Source: INFORMACIÓN Club)
The book’s cover, titled Catharsis. Portraits of a Dystopia, showcases the range of imagery within. The photos vary in format, with many printed in medium to large sizes. Some prints reach substantial dimensions, up to one and a half meters tall, and they are displayed on multiple supports to give each image its own space within the exhibit. (Source: INFORMACIÓN Club)
The act of sharing and displaying art in this manner extended beyond a single collection. The generosity of all involved did more than complete the project; it helped break down the barriers that often separate creators from their audiences, making every owner of a piece an essential part of the larger, remarkable story that Catharsis tells. Molina closes with a reflection on the collective effort: the project’s success rests on participation and communal support, and the final chapters belong to the public as much as to the artists. (Source: INFORMACIÓN Club)