The fallen decadent world

These dramatic images of fallen Baroque interiors are the collage work of Spanish artist Paul Genovés. He stitches together photos of nature with postcards of 17th and 18th century places that he’s collected from street markets. The result is both dreamy and disturbing with a strong impact- and not too far from reality. Primarily, his subject is bodies of water, like ice floating through a Venetian palace or waves crashing down the stairs of an old theater. Recent works also show forests taking root in palace halls. In less than a century, monumental cities like Venice will be underwater or be lost to decay. It leads us to question the relationship between man and nature, and what the future holds.

Genovés’ latest series, “The Sound and the Fury”, is now on view at the Canal de Isabel II Musuem in Madrid.