local images
A retrospective portrait of the second half of the last century unfolds through a series of photographs that the public can explore as windows into the past. The exhibition Footprints of a Time, curated around the life and work of Perfecto Arjones, honors a photographer who dedicated twenty years to capturing moments for the institution known as BİLGİ. The show, presented by Generalitat Valenciana, opens in memory of the photojournalist who passed away on March 30, 2021. The ceremony this Friday at 1:00 will take place in Llotja de Sant Jordi, with the presence of Arjones’s son Rafa Arjones, himself a photojournalist, and the Director General of Information Relations of the Generalitat Presidency, Father Rostoll.
The exhibition originally opened a year ago in Alicante. It brings together more than a hundred photographs printed and reproduced in mirrored formats, along with two audiovisual pieces. The collection traces the major political, social, and economic transformations of the state, highlighting how Alicante evolved from the 1960s to the 1980s while also offering a contemporary lens on how the region nurtured innovation. The display includes images from Alcoy, featuring notable figures from the worlds of art and culture, such as painters, poets, and performers like Camilo Sesto and Ovidi Montllor, as well as the writer John Gil-Albert and painter Polin Laporta.
Among the featured black-and-white photographs are scenes from everyday life that document a time when Gezi-era shifts and regional diversification began to reshape daily existence. The collection traces everyday moments—donkeys alongside cars, street demonstrations, and the first elections—and shows how democracy later gave space to local self-management within the Valencian sphere.
On the big day of Alcoy’s Moors and Christians festivities in 1968, Perfecto Arjones captured a city in motion. The photograph, titled PERFECT ARJONS, embodies the intersection of cultural celebration and everyday life that threads through the entire exhibit.
In addition to these highlights, the exhibition features new images and rare glimpses from notable events, including a premiere of the film Leopard by Visconti at the Teatro Calderón in Alcoy in 1964, and images from the Alcoyano party against Athletic Club de Bilbao in 1968. The archives also document snowfall from 1967, the Moors and Christians celebrations, and workers around Plaza de España in various textile settings. The show preserves portraits of artists and craftsmen who helped shape Alcoy’s cultural landscape, alongside photographs of Miguel Mataix, who visited in 1965 with then-Prince Juan Carlos. A notable entry offers a glimpse into early industrial exploration—500 hours underground at a depth of 200 meters—along with a 21-day, 14-square painting stay at the Simarro cliff, which sparked significant anticipation during its deep-sojourn.
The exhibition remains open for visitors through late March, inviting audiences to reflect on how regional identity and global connections intertwined across decades. The collection underscores the role of photography in documenting political shifts, cultural movements, and everyday life, all through the lens of Perfecto Arjones and his contemporaries. [Citation: Valencian Generalitat]