The Secret Life of a Barcelona Bench

Think of the least time you sat on a public bench. Did you have lunch with a friend? Were you on a date? Did you have a seat to catch your breath after a run through the park?

Whatever it was, I bet you didn’t stop to wonder what happened on that bench 24 hours before you where there or what experience the person sitting there after you will be going through.

It’s amazing how many moments and experiences, as small and unimportant as they may be, take place in areas like public benches. Just as captivating is how unaware of it all most of us are.

For over a year now Hungarian freelance photographer Gábor Erdélyi has been following one of these modest hotspots, in an attempt to capture the bustling, vibrant and constantly changing city of Barcelona.

“For me the city, the street and the people are the main subject”, said Gábor in an interview with DIYP. “I see pictures and little stories everywhere. I could not describe these moments in words. I hope I can do it with my photos”.

People don’t give benches a second thought, but this series shows what an integral part a simple bench is in everyday life, love, fights, birthdays, etc.

The photos were taken from Gábor’s window in Barcelona’s seaside district, and he describes sitting on the balcony overlooking the bench as watching a never-ending movie.

He has more than 100 photos in his Life of a Bench series, each portraying different moment in the special life of the bench, but says he is still missing a few characteristic scenes in order to complete it.

Since most of the photos were taken in the fall and spring, Gábor is missing the classic summer moments of beach-going tourists, as well as participants and actors of Barcelona’s traditional festivals and parades.

“I am constantly looking for new topics and challenges”, he said about his plans once he manages to get the missing frames. “I am currently working on 4-5 series. My other favorite subject is the portrait photography. Now I am working on more series about the people of the streets in Spain. And one of my goals is to create a portrait-collection of contemporary artists”.

The missing frames will be posted on Gábor’s website and Facebook page, where you can also see some of his other work.

For another view of Barcelona, check out this 24,000 frame hyper lapse.