Meet Barcelona photographer Boluddha
Notable and notorious influencers share their Barcelona stories with The Local Way.
Meet the Barcelona influencer photographer Matias Galeano, aka Boluddha
Notable and notorious influencers share their Barcelona stories with The Local Way.
Who is Matias Galeano, aka Boluddha?
My name is Matias Galeano, I’m a travel and architecture photographer with a focus on patterns, symmetry, and minimalism, working under the name @boluddha I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When I was 6 we moved to Germany where I lived for 7 years, then the Netherlands for another 7 years where I went to the International School of Antwerp in Belgium. Then to the UK for 4-5 years, studied at Essex University, lived in London for a bit, then Germany again, and finally moved to Barcelona in 2008. I was supposed to be here for a weekend but spontaneously applied for a job in Sant Cugat, got it, and decided to stay. I’ve not thought about moving since, and I’m happy to consider Barcelona my home (at least for the time being).
I’ve always been interested in creative work, visual arts, film, literature, and my work in photography came quite naturally as a result of these foundations. My obsession with artists like M.C Escher or Bernd and Hilla Becher, film directors like Wes Anderson and Stanley Kubrick, architects like Ricardo Bofill and Manuel Nunez Yanowsky, etc.
I used to be a football player so I try to stay active and play most sports, I play a lot of music, drums, and guitar, and most of all I enjoy spending days on terraces around the city with friends, talking about anything and everything over beers.
What is the raddest thing you’ve seen go down in Barcelona?
I witnessed lots of crazy stuff in this city, from taking part in the Indignados protests after the 2008 crisis, large concerts/festivals, to joining spontaneous concerts around MACBA, but the coolest thing was finding an abandoned dog with a cool sweater and having him lead us all across town until he arrived at his own house and found his owner, definitely a 10/10 night.
Can you recommend some alternative spots to take photos in Barcelona?
I guess everyone knows about the Bunkers del Carmel by now, but you still can’t beat that view. A lesser-known spot would be to go to the bar at the top of Edifico Colon, one of Barcelona’s weirdest buildings, order an expensive coffee, and enjoy pretty unique 360-degree view of Barcelona.
What neighborhood in Barcelona would recommend to travelers??
I would say walk and absorb all of Raval, Gotico, Borne, till you get to Barceloneta, but maybe stay in Eixample.
What is your favorite time of the day to take photos in the city and what camera do you use?
Favorite time, definitely sunrise. Sun rises over the ocean, city’s still mostly asleep so the light is perfect and it’s all for you. I started with Canon but eventually switched to Sony cameras/glass and haven’t looked back since.
What is your favorite building in Barcelona? Why?
Ricardo Bofill’s Walden 7 and it’s not even close 🙂
This crazy unique gigantic postmodern residential building tucked away in the unassuming outskirts of Barcelona. Right next door is Bofill’s office/residence, hidden under loads of vegetation, poetically built out of the remains of an abandoned cement factory.
Your top recommendation for a day trip outside of Barcelona?
I love chilling on the beaches of Castelldefels, but as a day-trip I’d have to say the Monserrat monastery, surrounded by the rounded mountaintops that are said to have inspired Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia.
Where is your favorite place buy vintage cameras and clothes?
Haha I’m a very boring dresser and not at all stylish enough to buy Vintage things, but living in Raval for many years I could see all the cool people buying their clothes and accessories around Riera Baixa street and the surrounding streets.
What is your recommendation for the best views of the city?
Bunkers for the ‘classic’ view. But Montjuic has some great views as well. If you want to see a truly unique view though I recommend a helicopter ride over the city, I shoot from helicopters a lot and it’s breathtaking.
What is your favorite place to go for dinner and drinks after?
Just like my lacking fashion sense, my dinner and drinks choices are equally as boring and uninspiring. Cheap local no-thrill bars where people know us and enjoying each other’s company. For a nice night out for drinks though I’d recommend going up and down Joaquin Costa, then to Raval for a good night out.
Do you ever stay in hostels when you travel? If so do you have a crazy hostel story for us?
I haven’t stayed in a hostel for many years, but for a while when I was younger it was definitely the main way to travel. Not sure if I have any crazy stories unfortunately, beyond people coming back from big nights and just kind of wrecking everything in their path until they could find their beds. 🙂
This interview wouldn’t have been possible without all the support from Matias Galeano and the efforts of the Sant Jordi Hostels marketing team (Duda Castro, Gisela Mena and Luiz Campos).
*Photos courtesy of Matias Galeano, aka Boluddha
This interview wouldn’t have been possible without all the support from Matias Galeano and the efforts of the Sant Jordi Hostels marketing team (Duda Castro, Gisela Mena and Luiz Campos).
*Photos courtesy of Matias Galeano, aka Boluddha
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