Wish you were here in ...
JF: Let’s get
the basics out of the way, how long have you been in Barcelona, and how did you
end up here?
CS: On the 15th of January, I celebrate 7
years in this city. I can’t believe it! I always wanted to live close to the Mediterranean
. The sea is far away from Austria, so from there it’s a big illusion, a
holiday dream. I thought it would be great to not just have a holiday at a
beach city, but actually work and live there … and I had an incredible desire
to speak this sexy Spanish language!
JF: That’s understandable, the
language was a big part of my love affair with Spain too. I loved it the minute
I heard it. It’s such a happy
language, even when they’re saying something sad, it sounds funny.
CS: Yes, and it’s direct and quite rough sometimes. But I
love it. In Austria the woman in the bakery always asks politely: "How can
I help you?" and "There we go, here’s your bread". Here its "DIME!!!" or "TOMA".
JF: Yes. I still feel bad when picking up the
phone and answering “Si?”. But on the other hand, I like that. It
goes with the 'roughness' of the city.
CS: If you want rough just go to the
bocadillo stand at Encants market. It’s the roughest and most funny place: “Oye reina: que te pongo? Dime, chato….
JF: I have actually been there. For me it’s not
that bad because it’s very similar to Malta, but coming from Austria .. .That’s
different!
CS: Oh yes! Austria is very clean cut. Especially coming
from a village of 8,000 inhabitants. There is not so much surprise. There it’s
all about working, working, working … and building a house, getting married, having
kids. And of course, the dog! I am different. I realized that after
finishing my studies in Austria when I was 23. Then I got an opportunity to work for Sesame Street in New York …. and that was the beginning of the rest
of my life! Big city, crazy people, adventure, lifestyle …
JF: Wow! You
worked on Sesame Street!! What did
you do?
I wasn’t Big Beard, no. I
worked in marketing and merchandising. Basically I corrected designs from
producers of toys, textile or even shower curtains. I had to tell them which Pantone
colour to use for Ernie’s orange head. Or I had to be sure the size of Cookie Monsters
mouth is big enough. It was fun
work. But I was actually more excited about my time outside the office.
Strolling around in the streets of the Big Apple, brunch in the East Village
and dancing in Alphabet City.
JF: So it
doesn’t look like there’s much chance of you moving back to Austria?
CS: I admire Austria. I grew up next to mountains, near
Lake Constance. My family is brilliant. They run a successful pastry house and
ice cream parlour. I love visiting and eating like a crazy bastard. But I am
more of a city person, and my Austrian village is too “classy”. So, no, I am
not planning to move back in a looong time.
JF: Barcelona beats Austria then …
CF: Barcelona
is a city for survivors. You
either you make it or you leave it. It’s
not a career city like London or New York. Even an art director of a big agency
doesn’t make great money here. I had studied economics but didn’t want to focus
on a career as a financial consultant or anything similar. Coming here straight
from New York, I was inspired by art, design, photography, so I changed my
focus from economy and jumped right into the art scene here, exhibitions,
museums, courses, a degree in design at Elisava design school …. I love to be creative, and very visual
JF: Yeah, Barcelona does that to you ... There's
something about it that tends to kick off the creative bug. So is that how Urbarna
come along?
CS: I had the postcard idea when I wanted to tell my
friends far away from where I lived now, how I was doing, how this city really
is, how people live here. I always loved to send postcards because it’s a quick
message - a sort of vintage SMS - but so much more personal and stronger because you know that the
person who is sending the postcard actually picked a special image, took time to
writing something, stamped it and dumped it into a mailbox. I think it’s a big
thing to receive a postcard. So anyway, I had problems to find a postcard here
that reflected the city’s lifestyle … it was just the Sagrada Familia, or La Pedrera.
So I picked up twelve of my favourite photos, went to a printer and printed
30.000 postcards so that the calculation of making some business with this
works out (there we go, my economist skills being put to use!!!). I lived in a
small room in a shared flat. My room was just full of postcards and no client
yet.
Designer clad butts in Sitges
JF: Did you think at that point, what the
hell have I done?
CS: I
believed in it. So I set up a stall at a little market at the Convento de San Agusti
and presented my stuff "to the world". I had moments of doubts but
the feedback of the people and friends was amazing and really motivating to
move on!
JF: It was a very
good idea. I must say, whenever I did send postcards from here, it was always (unknowingly)
yours I picked. They’re a lot more interesting that the usual Gaudi ones …
CS: Wow. I love to hear that. It makes me really happy to
get such great feedback …
JF:
Well they show Barcelona as it is ... warts and all
CS: It’s the real Barcelona and not just this bubblegum
design Barcelona
JF: Exactly.
Washing hanging out in the streets, that sort of thing
CS: Yes. And menu cards with sun eaten, crazy photographs
of the bocadillo menus just in front of the restaurant. I think it’s so funny because it kills
off any desire wanting to eat there. So anyway, I kept believing in the
postcards, and went from one store to the other, selling, selling, selling. It was really hard at some point. And
I didn’t make much money in the beginning. But I went from a self-made wooden
box as a postcard display, to floor and desk spinners and wall racks. And I started
with my little bike, going from Montjuic to Parque Guell. Now I have a
distributor, an employee, a motorbike and my own apartment. : And I
keep growing. Now I’m doing notebooks, T-shirts, street bags and beach bags, and
I started in Mallorca and Madrid with the same concept
JF:
That’s not bad in seven years is it? How do you work? Do you set out with
camera in hand looking out for things to photograph or is it more spontaneous?
CS: I walk around with my camera a lot. I wish I had more
time, but things have changed now. Often I have a very clear idea of what I
want, and try to watch out for it. Let’s say I need a pic of pan con tomate in a tapas bar. So I
check specific places and go crazy with the camera. But the best pics come
along spontaneously. Special moments: two old ladies with their flowered
dresses holding on to each other walking down Gran Via, boys showing off their
fashion brand swimmers at the gay beach. Or a sunburnt woman trying to achieve a leather tan. I love that
shit
JF: Do you find
that now that the business has grown you have less time to do that?
CS: Yes!!! 100 %. There was a time where I didn’t have
time to be creative and productive in terms of taking pictures. But since I
hired a person to do all the administration for me six months ago, I have more
time to be creative, and that’s important. I need to be doing things constantly, and renovating. The
competition doesn’t sleep. Since I launched, there’s about 7 new little
postcard companies with a similar approach.
JF: Is there
a particular barrio that produces
better images?
CS: I love Barceloneta. It seems as if time stood
still there
JF: Yes, and there are some wonderful characters.
In fact I think the whole city is full of wonderful characters to photograph. Do
people ever object to being photographed? I was in Santa Caterina market the
other day and a guy kicked off a big fuss because someone took a picture of him
CS: I have had problems sometimes, yes which is why I had
stopped asking and just took pics. But I’ve learned my lesson because someone
sued me for being on a postcard. A man from Madrid, on my Madrid postcards
JF: Oh no!
CS: Now, I have to deal with a lawyer and shit. I’ll see how I
can get out of that one. But yes, I’ve learnt, so I prefer to ask from now on,
and go run around with model releases and getting the papers signed
JF: What
a pain, everything has become so official now! Is there anything you
dislike about being in BCN?
CS: That you have to be patient. Very patient. And don’t
expect things to happen when you want them to happen. You always have to add a
couple more days and weeks to due dates and you are fine
JF: That's the first lesson I learnt! I moved
here with a London frame of mind, and I was going crazy. I had to shed all of
that. Mañana, mañana is a fact of life here, not a myth.
CS: I also dislike false promises and major delays in payments.
My Swiss friend Raphi always loves when he gets his money paid on time by his Swiss
clients. And I’m struggling, and calling clients to remind them to pay...
JF: We're
running out of time of time here, so here’s a final question: What's the one
place that foreigners visiting wouldn’t know about that you think they should
absolutely see or do?
CS:
Here are some places and
things that I love in this city: I think the Encants market is quite an
experience. Delicious tapas at Bar Mut
on Pau Claris for very special occasions, lunch or dinner at Candela on Plaza
Sant Pere; a walk up on Tibidabo; tennis on Montjuic with all the birds
singing; Sitges in winter…. I think what’s most important is to not run around
with a tourist map. To just keep discovering, and watch out for great music and
dance events at the Apollo or the Mercat de les Flors.
View more of Christian
Schallert’s work at www.urbarna.com and the webshop www.icecreamsocialweb.com
Shouldn't the menu make you want to eat?
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I love Christians postcards. I have all of them in my room (:
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