Inside the Photo #34

Talking with Xavi B.

Good morning beautiful people! Happy Tuesday and welcome back to another appointment with Inside the Photo.

I think I have never really told you how much I love this appointment. It’s for me a great pleasure to get in touch with creatives and spread the stories behind their images.

Today’s guest is a photographer I admire a lot. Not only for his images, which are stunning, but also for his way of writing. Let me introduce you to Xavi B.

Mexico City, 1982. In England since 2009.

Artist, Photographer, Creative Director. I write a newsletter on the creative process and sharing photo essays on the subjects that interest me on Substack. I cook tacos for friends and family.

I think his newsletter is one of the first I subscribed to when I joined Substack (for those reading this post on the blog, this is the platform where I also host my own newsletter). If you have a look at his publication you'll easily understand why. His articles are always very interesting, talking about photography, about the process and the intentions. And all packed with wonderful images.

"Identitas" - © Xavi B.

“Ars Baroca Romae”

I wanted to share a composition rather than a single photograph with your readers, Matteo. This is part of a project and collaboration I released at the end of January 2026, originating from work I photographed in Rome in 2024 and that I’m finally completing. I spent three weeks there largely in search of the finest examples of Baroque art and architecture.

The project was never primarily about photographing these works, but about spending time with them, admiring their beauty and dynamism, and trying to understand the drama embedded in each piece. Photography being secondary; on a few occasions, I even forgot to take a picture of what was in front of me.

Because of this mindset, I didn’t arrange press or media access to any of the sites. In Rome, attempting to secure permissions is a project in itself. Instead, I chose to experience these spaces like any other mortal: buying tickets, queuing, and navigating the logic (or lack thereof) of public buildings and church opening times. That, I’d say, was the hardest part of the project.

The photographs then sat on my hard drive for around eighteen months. I revisited them several times, experimenting with layouts, but something was missing, there was no narrative that felt right. It wasn’t until late summer in 2025, during a visit to my framer in London, that things shifted. He suggested a collaboration after seeing some of the images on my social media. Our conversations around the project’s mindset, the Baroque period, and its symbolism gave me clarity, and I began arranging the images into pairs, trios, and sometimes groups of four giving them a narrative that I was excited about.

Some compositions pose questions around identity or belief; others explore mortality, sexuality, carnal pleasure, or power, like the one I’m sharing with you here.

As a deliberate challenge, I translated the project’s intent into Latin on my website, inviting viewers to copy the text and translate it themselves using Google or GPT. It asks them to engage, to think, to be active and make a decision hopefully based on their curiosity. Today, we want everything pre-digested: shortcuts to success, cheat codes to wealth, five-minute solutions. Life doesn’t work that way. Processes take time and effort, and my work aims to push back against that expectation, asking viewers to stop, think, and be curious.

As a result of this collaboration, three unique pieces were produced between Otto Framing and myself. Each exists as a single edition and will not be reproduced.

Here you go, this is exactly what I meant in my brief intro. Xavi’s work is far from superficial or banal. There’s always something more behind an image or an article or project.

I totally recommend you check out his creations, here are a few links to see more from him.

ARS Baroca Romae
Making Art Collectable
Substack
Instagram (Commercial)
Instagram (Images from newsletter)

It’s always a great pleasure to read your stories and enjoy your images, Xavi. Thanks for being with us today!

Take care and talk soon!