{"id":855,"date":"2020-07-17T01:49:04","date_gmt":"2020-07-16T23:49:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/?page_id=855"},"modified":"2026-04-06T18:30:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T16:30:16","slug":"specular-city","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/en\/specular-city\/","title":{"rendered":"SPECULAR CITY"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row css_animation=&#8221;&#8221; row_type=&#8221;row&#8221; use_row_as_full_screen_section=&#8221;no&#8221; type=&#8221;full_width&#8221; angled_section=&#8221;no&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; background_image_as_pattern=&#8221;without_pattern&#8221;][vc_column][vc_row_inner row_type=&#8221;row&#8221; type=&#8221;full_width&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; css_animation=&#8221;&#8221;][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;]<\/p>\n\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 100%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-855 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-full'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/1-La-Ciudad-Manipulada.png'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"635\" src=\"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/1-La-Ciudad-Manipulada.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-850\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/1-La-Ciudad-Manipulada.png 700w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/1-La-Ciudad-Manipulada-300x272.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-850'>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>The Manipulated City<\/strong><br> Porcelain tile<br> Colors Diezceramic<br> 100 x 100 x 0.5 cm<br> 2018<br> Collection of the Ceramics Museum of the Alcora Museum, Castell\u00f3n, Spain.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2-Construyendo-un-nuevo-mundo.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2-Construyendo-un-nuevo-mundo.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-458\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2-Construyendo-un-nuevo-mundo.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2-Construyendo-un-nuevo-mundo-300x162.jpg 300w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2-Construyendo-un-nuevo-mundo-768x414.jpg 768w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2-Construyendo-un-nuevo-mundo-1024x551.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/2-Construyendo-un-nuevo-mundo-700x377.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-458'>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Building a New World II<\/strong><br> Porcelain tile<br> Colors Diezceramic<br> 100 x 50 x 0.5 cm<br> 2018\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/3-La-Ciudad-Especular.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"715\" src=\"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/3-La-Ciudad-Especular.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-459\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/3-La-Ciudad-Especular.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/3-La-Ciudad-Especular-300x165.jpg 300w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/3-La-Ciudad-Especular-768x422.jpg 768w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/3-La-Ciudad-Especular-1024x563.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/3-La-Ciudad-Especular-700x385.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-459'>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>The Specular City<\/strong><br> Porcelain tile<br> Colors Diezceramic<br> 100 x 200 x 0.5 cm<br> 2018\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/4-Watch-Out.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1300\" height=\"716\" src=\"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/4-Watch-Out.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-460\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/4-Watch-Out.jpg 1300w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/4-Watch-Out-300x165.jpg 300w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/4-Watch-Out-768x423.jpg 768w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/4-Watch-Out-1024x564.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/4-Watch-Out-700x386.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1300px) 100vw, 1300px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-460'>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Phrenology Study (Watch Out)<\/strong><br> Composition of 2 earthenware plates<br> Black pigment underglaze<br> 86 x 40 cm<br> 2018<br> Collection of the Teo Jakob Art Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland.\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/5-Our-flag-will-be-great-again.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"685\" src=\"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/5-Our-flag-will-be-great-again.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-461\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/5-Our-flag-will-be-great-again.jpg 700w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/5-Our-flag-will-be-great-again-300x294.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-461'>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Our flags will be great again<\/strong><br> Earthenware plate<br> Black underglaze pigment<br> 2.5 x 31.5 cm \u00d8<br> 2017\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6-La-Geografia-es-Destino.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"689\" src=\"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6-La-Geografia-es-Destino.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-462\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6-La-Geografia-es-Destino.jpg 700w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/6-La-Geografia-es-Destino-300x295.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-462'>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Geography is destiny<\/strong><br> Earthenware plate<br> Black underglaze pigment<br> 2.5 x 31.5 cm \u00d8<br> 2017\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/7-Humano-Clase-B.jpg'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"700\" src=\"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/7-Humano-Clase-B.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-463\" srcset=\"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/7-Humano-Clase-B.jpg 700w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/7-Humano-Clase-B-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/7-Humano-Clase-B-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/7-Humano-Clase-B-570x570.jpg 570w, https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/7-Humano-Clase-B-500x500.jpg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t<dd class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-463'>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Human Class B\/018<\/strong><br> Stoneware plate<br> Black underglaze pigment 1250 C.<br> 2.5 x 50 cm \u00d8<br> 2018<br> Private collection\n\t\t\t\t<\/dd><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>[\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]\u201cThen, the multiplication of the cities stopped. Cities were not built for a growing class of small artisans and merchants, the city ceased to be a means to achieve freedom and security. It was rather a means to consolidate political power in a single center directly under the supervision of the king and to prevent any contempt of the central authority from distant places, that for that exact same reason were difficult to govern. The era of free cities, with its vastly spread culture and its relatively democratic forms of association, gave way to an era of absolute cities, centers that grew without any order and left other cities to choose between accepting stagnation or to imitate, without compensation, the all-powerful capital\u201d.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><strong>Lewis Mumford<\/strong><br \/>\n\u201c<em>The Culture of Cities<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\">[vc_separator type=&#8217;transparent&#8217; position=&#8217;center&#8217; color=&#8221; thickness=&#8221; up=&#8217;20&#8217; down=&#8217;20&#8217;]<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA city is like the sun. All is light in its nucleus, intensely concentrated. The light is blinding, misguiding, it prevents the roads, the houses from being found; once inside it is not possible to come out. In another ring, larger than the former, one still experiments a certain narrowness, but the light no longer radiates uninterrupted, there are dark alleys, hidden passages, even small places that will remain fresh and in twilight; then one finds a much larger ring, here the light is so disperse that it must be searched for. Large urban extensions remain in this area, looking cold and grey\u201d.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><strong>Franz Kafka<\/strong><br \/>\n<em>The Z\u00fcrau Aphorisms 1917<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>[vc_separator type=&#8217;small&#8217; position=&#8217;center&#8217; color=&#8217;#ccc&#8217; thickness=&#8221; up=&#8217;30&#8217; down=&#8217;30&#8217;]<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The Specular City can be summed up in signs, superpositions and interferences in urban surroundings, where the landscape is seduced by a characteristic graphic language wrapped in an artificial universe, which nevertheless narrates the contemporary reality of cities, whose democracy is immersed in a society made up of groups of power that manipulate the general conscience of its citizens. The urban spaces appear to be surrounded by a claustropho bic horizon, forming a set of imaginary cities, outside of space and time, and which through the signs describe to us the imperfect and unfinished city.[vc_separator type=&#8217;transparent&#8217; position=&#8217;center&#8217; color=&#8221; thickness=&#8221; up=&#8221; down=&#8221;]We encounter a narration through a meticulous ceramic process, where Monsalvatje once again brings together a development between art and industry, a binomial relationship that even now is still unusual.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[vc_row css_animation=&#8221;&#8221; row_type=&#8221;row&#8221; use_row_as_full_screen_section=&#8221;no&#8221; type=&#8221;full_width&#8221; angled_section=&#8221;no&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; background_image_as_pattern=&#8221;without_pattern&#8221;][vc_column][vc_row_inner row_type=&#8221;row&#8221; type=&#8221;full_width&#8221; text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; css_animation=&#8221;&#8221;][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;2\/3&#8243;] [\/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=&#8221;1\/3&#8243;][vc_column_text]\u201cThen, the multiplication of the cities stopped. Cities were not built for a growing class of small artisans and merchants, the city ceased to be a means to achieve freedom and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-855","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=855"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/855\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2008,"href":"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/855\/revisions\/2008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xaviermonsalvatje.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}