T-shirt as Fetish and Cultural Object: A New Book and An Alicante Gathering
In Alicante this Saturday, a unique broadcast explores the T-shirt as both fetish and cultural artifact. The project is led by screenwriter David Campesino and photographer Dani BravoCoño and is presented as part of a festival program at Las Cigarreras, inviting local artists to engage with how clothing can carry meaning beyond fabric and thread.
The book at the center of the project weaves together photographs and short texts from 44 individuals. It documents t-shirts that have accumulated personal significance, becoming touchstones of memory and identity. The concept began with Campesino, who runs screen printing and textile workshops and became fascinated by how a simple garment can take on a life of its own. He explains that the t-shirt often transcends its role as apparel and becomes a way of living, a theme reflected in the project’s narrative: why people keep certain shirts for years, whether tied to a concert, a gift from someone special, or a symbol from a first basketball team. The book invites readers to consider what a t-shirt represents when worn, and what it reveals about the wearer and their past.
One image from the book and its contextual note punctuate the presentation, underscoring the idea that clothing is inseparable from stories. The project blends photography with intimate recollections, turning each shirt into a doorway to personal history. It invites a broader audience to reflect on the roles clothes play in cultural life and how they mark moments in time. The author frames the work as a collection that spans generations, with a leaning toward underground and local scenes from Alicante, while also drawing in experiences from diverse backgrounds. Each entry is accompanied by a short vignette, illuminating the wearer’s connection to the garment and the memory it preserves.
While many of the stories focus on music scenes and live performances, others explore different vocations and obsessions connected to fabric. The book also touches on secondhand markets, collectors and enthusiasts who obsessively track fabric and print patterns, and even references to fictional or historical figures who might appear in shirt motifs. In this way, the work broadens the scope of what a t-shirt can signify, moving beyond taste or style and into personal mythology.
In sum, the project is described as a repository of experiences that includes people, drawings, photos, memories, music, family ties, design, youth, childhood, and, above all, many t-shirts. It examines relationships, migrations, travel, tattoos, friendships, joy, and even tantrums, all through the lens of the garment that connects these disparate threads. The book’s core message is that shirts carry meaning well beyond their utilitarian function, and that wearing them can illuminate a wider spectrum of human connection.
A reduced edition of 200 copies was made possible by a grant of 3,000 euros received through a cultural activities program. The presentation at Las Cigarreras’ Sala Negre begins at 17:00 on Saturday, offering attendees the chance to see images and hear interviews related to the project. Selected photographs and interview excerpts from the book will later be distributed via Alicante’s municipal public libraries, extending the reach of these stories to a broader audience and inviting ongoing conversation about clothing, memory, and identity. The event format emphasizes accessibility and community involvement, placing these intimate narratives in a public, cultural space for reflection and dialogue.