An exhibition at the Sala Sa Nostra in Ibiza town is showing the photographs of José Manuel Chico Prats, offering a glimpse of everyday life on the island in the 1950s, before mass tourism transformed it.
The exhibition
The photographic gaze of Chico Prats runs from 3 to 25 July. It has been organised by Ibiza town council, the Consell d’Eivissa and the municipal image and sound archive (AISME), and was presented by Sara Ramon, the Consell’s councillor for culture, Carmen Domínguez, the town’s culture councillor, and Fanny Tur, director of the archive.
Who was Chico Prats?
Chico Prats was born in Catalonia, but had deep ties to Ibiza: his mother was from the island, and he spent many summers at the family home in Platja d’en Bossa. Over decades, he photographed the island’s people, places and traditions, and later turned many of those images into paintings. This year marks 110 years since his birth (1916) and 20 years since his death (2006).
What visitors will see
The exhibition includes 60 photographs, mostly in black and white, with five in colour. Most are candid images taken in streets, squares and villages, showing Ibizans going about their daily lives.
- “Dones eixerides”, a series of five portraits of women shown without captions, on the principle that a good photograph needs no explanation.
- Town life, with streets, squares and public fountains — important meeting places at a time when many homes had no running water.
- Rural Ibiza, with images in which visitors may recognise relatives, neighbours or well-known figures from the island’s past.
A second exhibition
From 13 July, a second exhibition, Chico Prats: art and photography (1916–2006), will open at the Sala Es Polvorí in Dalt Vila, combining more photographs with a selection of his paintings from the Consell’s collection and private collections. It runs until 29 August.
Why it matters
Carmen Domínguez said the photographs allow visitors to get to know the photographer and the human heritage of Ibiza. For younger generations, the images offer a rare window onto how their grandparents lived; for older visitors, they may bring back memories of an island that has changed beyond recognition.
Entry to both exhibitions is free.
