Identity is a fluid concept, a subjective choice that is infinitely debatable, composed of millions of personal experiences, characteristics and associations. It is impossible to find one single trait which forms your own identity or the identity of a place. However, The Faces of Barcelona explores the attitudes, physiognomy, clothing and architectural landscapes that characterise Barcelona and contribute to its various identities.

Familiarity and the ordinary can be a form of ignorance, because we become so accustomed to seeing our surroundings that they go unnoticed in our daily routine and we cease to see them with the curiosity of a new visitor. This exhibition offers you the opportunity to visit the city as though it were your first time. It is structured in six areas which could influence our perception of Barcelona: streets, messages, cultures, buildings, citizens and visitors. It encourages you to take a fresh look at all of the most ordinary things that ultimately characterise the city, such as announcements, street signs, posters, billboards, street pavements and chairs. There is even a life-size copy of a piece of graffiti by ‘El Xupet Negro’ (The Black Pacifier), legendary graffiti artist of Barcelona.

As well as identifying features of daily life in the city, the exhibition also explores Barcelona’s international image and its transformation from an industrial city to a popular tourist destination full of avant-garde architecture. The Faces of Barcelona does not set out to determine or summarise what exactly characterises Barcelona, but it presents us with some social and cultural anthropological items, starting points from which you can reflect, with the aim that you consider the city for yourself.

Ethnology Museum of Barcelona

Passeig de Santa Madrona, 16, 08038 Barcelona

Opening hours

Monday-Saturday, 10.00-19.00

Sunday and public holidays, 10.00-20.00

Monday, closed