Into Dust

by Andrew Sullivan

Art

Mentioned in 0 episodes

The scirocco wind was blowing out of the Sahara into Barcelona when I first visited the cracked concrete plaza on the beach. The armature of a calisthenics gym sprawled like the skeleton of a whale. A group of men did synchronized pull-ups while dozens of other people took in the sun or exercised. The group dropped to the ground for ten push-ups before jumping to grab the pull-up bars again. Staccato electronic music from Ghana thumped the salt air. Groans and shrieks slipped into the silences between beats as the men's muscles burned from effort. It was a spectacle of teamwork and strength. I asked to take a few photos and was welcomed. From Roman legionnaires and traveling merchants to Visigoths, Moors, and people today seeking new lives or economic opportunities, Barcelona is a city formed by more than 2,000 years of migration. Some have risked their lives to get here, having crossed war zones, the blistering desert, and the unpredictable churn of the sea. Others fly first class. The gym on the beach is a microcosm of the city and its history.

Sign in to write a review.