Ghosts of Our Humanities, the first U.S. solo exhibition by French photographer Abel Llaval-Ubach, is currently on display at The Dreamers Gallery in Presidio and will remain open to the public through January 3, 2026.
Presented by The Dreamers, the exhibition brings 17 photographs to West Texas, spanning nearly two decades of Llaval-Ubach’s work. Rather than focusing on people themselves, the collection explores what remains in their absence — quiet streets, overlooked monuments, still landscapes, and spaces shaped by memory, time, and loss.
The gallery describes the exhibition as intentionally restrained and contemplative, inviting viewers to slow down and engage with the subtle emotional weight embedded in familiar but deserted places. While the photographs may initially appear to document landscapes or architectural scenes, the work gradually reveals a deeper meditation on humanity’s imprint — and disappearance — within those environments.
Llaval-Ubach is known internationally for his subdued portraits and atmospheric compositions, with work featured in publications including The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Le Monde, and Télérama. His background in press photography and early work in political television and contemporary dance has shaped a visual style that blends documentary discipline with a cinematic sense of stillness.
In Ghosts of Our Humanities, that approach is applied to landscapes and objects rather than faces. Statues, streets, and interior spaces become stand-ins for human presence, reflecting themes of impermanence, memory, and quiet observation. The exhibition asks viewers to consider whether these spaces function as portraits themselves — emotional records shaped by those who once occupied them.
The Dreamers Gallery, located at 702 W. O’Reilly Street in Presidio, has positioned the exhibition as a rare opportunity for West Texas audiences to experience Llaval-Ubach’s work in an intimate setting. According to the gallery, this marks the artist’s first solo exhibition in the United States.
Ghosts of Our Humanities is on display through January 3, 2026.
Texas Reporter 