KBr
KBr is the chemical symbol for potassium bromide, a salt used in the analogue photography development process. Its main function is to slow down or delay the action of the developing agent, to prevent the formation of what is called a chemical veil, which allows obtaining a greater purity of the whites of an image.

KBr – Barcelona Photo Center

KBr is the new Photography Centre with which Fundación MAPFRE launches a new stage in its intense dedication to artistic photography, one of its main areas of cultural activity since 2009.

The Center will have two exhibition halls, a bookstore, an area for educational activities and a multipurpose auditorium.

Richard Learoyd

Richard Learoyd Melanie, 2015 © Richard Learoyd. Courtesy of the artist and Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco

Bill Brandt Francis Bacon on Primrose Hill, London , 1963

Bill Brandt Francis Bacon on Primrose Hill, London , 1963 Private collection, Courtesy Bill Brandt Archive and Edwynn Houk Gallery © Bill Brandt / Bill Brandt Archive Ltd.

Paul Strand Young Boy, Gondeville, Charente, France

Paul Strand Young Boy, Gondeville, Charente, France, 1951. FRANCE © Aperture Foundation, Inc., Paul Strand Archive © COLECCIONES Fundación MAPFRE

Bill Brandt Parlourmaid and Under-parlourmaid ready to serve dinner, 1936

Bill Brandt Parlourmaid and Under-parlourmaid ready to serve dinner, 1936 Private collection, Courtesy Bill Brandt Archive and Edwynn Houk Gallery. © Bill Brandt / Bill Brandt Archive Ltd.

Paul Strand Blind Woman, New York, 1916.

Paul Strand Blind Woman, New York, 1916. Camerawork and Nature Forms © Aperture Foundation, Inc., Paul Strand Archive © COLECCIONES Fundación MAPFRE

Bill Brandt Nude, Baie des Anges, France, 1959

Bill Brandt Nude, Baie des Anges, France, 1959. Private collection, Courtesy Bill Brandt Archive and Edwynn Houk Gallery © Bill Brandt / Bill Brandt Archive Ltd.

Paul Strand On the Cafe Terrace, Banyuls, Pyrenees-Orientales, France

Paul Strand On the Cafe Terrace, Banyuls, Pyrenees-Orientales, France, 1950 FRANCE © Aperture Foundation, Inc., Paul Strand Archive © COLECCIONES Fundación MAPFRE

Bill Brandt Elephant & Castle Underground

Bill Brandt Elephant & Castle Underground, 1940. Private collection, Courtesy Bill Brandt Archive and Edwynn Houk Gallery © Bill Brandt / Bill Brandt Archive Ltd.

Paul Strand.The Family, Luzzara, Italy, 1953

Paul Strand The Family, Luzzara, Italy, 1953 ITALY © Aperture Foundation, Inc., Paul Strand Archive © COLECCIONES Fundación MAPFRE

Bill Brandt Cuckmere River, 1963
Bill Brandt Cuckmere River, 1963. Private collection, Courtesy Bill Brandt Archive and Edwynn Houk Gallery © Bill Brandt / Bill Brandt Archive Ltd.
Paul Strand Anna Attinga Frafra, Accra, Ghana, 1964

Paul Strand Anna Attinga Frafra, Accra, Ghana, 1964 GHANA © Aperture Foundation, Inc., Paul Strand Archive © COLECCIONES Fundación MAPFRE

Exhibitions

Two large exhibitions inaugurate this venue. In the main hall, the works of Bill Brandt, one of the most important European photographers of the 20th century, will be exhibited.

The second room showcases, for the first time, our collection of photographs by Paul Strand, the artist’s most extensive collection outside the United States.

Bill Brandt Francis Bacon on Primrose Hill, London , 1963
Bill Brandt Francis Bacon on Primrose Hill, London, 1963 Private collection, Courtesy Bill Brandt Archive and Edwynn Houk Gallery © Bill Brandt / Bill Brandt Archive Ltd.
Paul Strand Young Boy, Gondeville, Charente, France

Paul Strand Young Boy, Gondeville, Charente, France, 1951. FRANCE © Aperture Foundation, Inc., Paul Strand Archive © COLECCIONES Fundación MAPFRE

Bill Brandt Parlourmaid and Under-parlourmaid ready to serve dinner, 1936

Bill Brandt Parlourmaid and Under-parlourmaid ready to serve dinner, 1936 Private collection, Courtesy Bill Brandt Archive and Edwynn Houk Gallery. © Bill Brandt / Bill Brandt Archive Ltd.

Paul Strand Blind Woman, New York, 1916.

Paul Strand Blind Woman, New York, 1916. Camerawork and Nature Forms © Aperture Foundation, Inc., Paul Strand Archive © COLECCIONES Fundación MAPFRE

Bill Brandt Nude, Baie des Anges, France, 1959

Bill Brandt Nude, Baie des Anges, France, 1959. Private collection, Courtesy Bill Brandt Archive and Edwynn Houk Gallery © Bill Brandt / Bill Brandt Archive Ltd.

Paul Strand On the Cafe Terrace, Banyuls, Pyrenees-Orientales, France

Paul Strand On the Cafe Terrace, Banyuls, Pyrenees-Orientales, France, 1950 FRANCE © Aperture Foundation, Inc., Paul Strand Archive © COLECCIONES Fundación MAPFRE

Bill Brandt Elephant & Castle Underground

Bill Brandt Elephant & Castle Underground, 1940. Private collection, Courtesy Bill Brandt Archive and Edwynn Houk Gallery © Bill Brandt / Bill Brandt Archive Ltd.

Paul Strand.The Family, Luzzara, Italy, 1953

Paul Strand The Family, Luzzara, Italy, 1953 ITALY © Aperture Foundation, Inc., Paul Strand Archive © COLECCIONES Fundación MAPFRE

Bill Brandt Cuckmere River, 1963

Bill Brandt Cuckmere River, 1963. Private collection, Courtesy Bill Brandt Archive and Edwynn Houk Gallery © Bill Brandt / Bill Brandt Archive Ltd.

Paul Strand Anna Attinga Frafra, Accra, Ghana, 1964

Paul Strand Anna Attinga Frafra, Accra, Ghana, 1964 GHANA © Aperture Foundation, Inc., Paul Strand Archive © COLECCIONES Fundación MAPFRE

Why KBr?

Robert Adams, Longmont, Colorado, 1980
Robert Adams Longmont, Colorado, 1980 © Robert Adams, courtesy of the Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco and Matthew Marks Gallery, New York © COLECCIONES Fundación MAPFRE

KBr expresses the continuity of our exhibition project as well as our commitment to collaborating with other Catalan institutions focusing on photography, to being involved in training future generations in the understanding of the photographic language and to contribute, from the fascinating life witness that photography represents, to the international projection of Barcelona’s creativity and energy.

Where are we?

This new space is located in one of the most representative buildings of contemporary Barcelona:
The Torre MAPFRE, near the Olympic Port.

KBr – Fundación MAPFRE – Barcelona Photo Center

Torre MAPFRE Ronda del Litoral, nº 30 08005 Barcelona

«This new project expresses the interest of Fundación MAPFRE in reinforcing its contribution to the energy and projection of Barcelona through artistic photography».

Nadia Arroyo
Director of the Culture Department at Fundación MAPFRE