Javier Tles

The Infinite Gaze of the Passerby

Javier Tles, born in Zaragoza in 1965, is a self-taught Spanish photographer who began his career in 1992. He has lived in Barcelona since 1983 and has made a name for himself in the field of advertising photography, collaborating with renowned agencies such as S,C,P,F…, BBDO, DDB, Publicis, TBWA, Young & Rubicam, Ogilvy, and JWT. His versatility has allowed him to successfully tackle a wide range of projects, from portraits to documentary photography and
personal work.

Artistic manifesto

Javier Tles sees photography as a way to share discoveries and experiences. His focus is on capturing the interaction between people and their surroundings, with a particular emphasis on emotions and human relationships. One of his most significant projects, “Watashi,” portrays survivors of the 2011 tsunami in Japan, inviting them to look at themselves in a mirror before being photographed, which allows their expressions to reveal their stories without the need for words. This approach of careful observation and letting the image speak for itself permeates all of his work.

The Infinite Gaze of the Passerby

Javier Tles sees photography as a way to share discoveries and experiences. His work focuses on capturing the interaction between people and their surroundings, with a particular emphasis on emotions and human relationships.
One of his most significant projects, “Watashi,” portrays survivors of the 2011 tsunami in Japan, inviting them to look at themselves in a mirror before being photographed, which allows their expressions to reveal their stories without the need for words. This approach of careful observation and letting the image speak for itself permeates all of his work.

The Project at BYPILLOW Goldoni (Florence)

Like a modern-day flâneur, Tles has sought to preserve the perspective of the urban stroller—that traveler who wanders the city at a leisurely pace, allowing himself to be surprised by the details. His photographs, displayed throughout the hotel, capture Florence through the eyes of someone discovering it without haste, letting the light shape the architecture and allowing visitors to become part of the landscape. His installation culminates at the entrance with a triptych that encapsulates that experience: in the center, Michelangelo’s David, viewed through a cell phone screen, reflecting the way we look at art today; on either side, two images of visitors absorbed in contemplation, frozen in that moment when beauty takes precedence over everything else. Through his mastery of chiaroscuro, Tles explores how light and shadow can emphasize a gaze, a gesture, or the atmosphere of a place, adding depth and narrative to each scene.

Rather than simply documenting Florence, the collaboration between Javier Tles and BYPILLOW Goldoni invites us to experience it from a new perspective. Through his images, the hotel becomes a space where light, architecture, and emotion intertwine in a visual narrative that reminds us that traveling is, at its core, about learning to see.