An exhibition entitled “The Fish of Mercabarna” is set to open in the lobby of the Management Centre on 15 December. The exhibition will feature the laminate sheets created by the artist and director of the Capellades Paper Mill Museum, Victoria Rabal, with images of the fish that arrive at the Central Fish Market each day.

What makes the exhibition unusual is that the ‘drawings’ have been made using a little-known printing technique of Japanese origin called gyotaku. The technique, which dates back to the mid-19th century, consists of inking a fish with a paintbrush, placing it on a piece of paper and then pressing down until the paper absorbs the fish’s shape. The result is a beautiful engraving that faithfully reflects the texture, relief and size of the fish.

For the project, Ms Rabal set up a workspace inside the Market for a year where, with the collaboration of Mercabarna management and wholesalers, she had access to the large diversity of species in the centre.

The exhibition can be visited for free until the end of January. An exhibition catalogue will also go on sale.