Winged goats, monkeys with unicorn horns and squirrels with snake tails - Joan Fontcuberta's imagination has stunned audiences and deceived experts. Here, a monkey with wings and a unicorn's horn, supposedly found in an archive belonging to the fictional Dr Peter Ameisenhaufen.
A winged monkey —
Winged goats, monkeys with unicorn horns and squirrels with snake tails - Joan Fontcuberta's imagination has stunned audiences and deceived experts. Here, a monkey with wings and a unicorn's horn, supposedly found in an archive belonging to the fictional Dr Peter Ameisenhaufen.
Cercophitecus Icarocornu by Joan Fontcuberta and Pere Formiguera, 1985
In this picture of a "four-legged baboon", another curious creature to emerge from the archives of Ameisenhaufen.
Centaurus neandertalensis —
In this picture of a "four-legged baboon", another curious creature to emerge from the archives of Ameisenhaufen.
Centaurus Neandertalensis by Joan Fontcuberta and Pere Formiguera, 1987
Tail of a fish, head of a man?! More double-take fodder from Fontcuberta, exploiting our tendency to take "photographic evidence" at face-value.
A 'real' mermaid fossil —
Tail of a fish, head of a man?! More double-take fodder from Fontcuberta, exploiting our tendency to take "photographic evidence" at face-value.
Hydropithecus of Cerro de San Vicente, 2006 by Joan Fontcuberta
Fontcuberta satirizes religious faith in this picture, The Miracle of Dolphin Surfing, in which he depicts himself as a miracle-working monk.
'The Miracle of Dolphin Surfing' —
Fontcuberta satirizes religious faith in this picture, The Miracle of Dolphin Surfing, in which he depicts himself as a miracle-working monk.
The Miracle of Dolphin-Surfing, Joan Fontcuberta, Karelia, Miracles & Co, 2002 200
These photos were actually part of a trip Fontcuberta took to "expose" a Finnish monastery that practices the impossible.
A monk practices levitation —
These photos were actually part of a trip Fontcuberta took to "expose" a Finnish monastery that practices the impossible.
The Miracle of Levitation, 2002, Joan Fontcuberta
These incredible plants would look at home in a tropical forest or wild jungle. Influenced by the work of Karl Blossfeldt, these exotic-looking plants are made from an amalgamation of inorganic material, mimicking what may be found in uncharted territory.
'Rare' plant species —
These incredible plants would look at home in a tropical forest or wild jungle. Influenced by the work of Karl Blossfeldt, these exotic-looking plants are made from an amalgamation of inorganic material, mimicking what may be found in uncharted territory.
Mullerpolis Plunfis from the Herbarium series by Joan Fontcuberta, 1983
This eerie, cinematic scenery emerged from misinformation being fed into cartographical software, often used by geographers and the military.
Fantastical landscapes made from glitches —
This eerie, cinematic scenery emerged from misinformation being fed into cartographical software, often used by geographers and the military.
Orogenesis: Watkins, 2004 from the Orogenesis series by Joan Fontcuberta
Dust specs from a car windscreen double up as constellations in these photograms, where an ordinary inconvenience mimics the fantastical.
A dusty sky? —
Dust specs from a car windscreen double up as constellations in these photograms, where an ordinary inconvenience mimics the fantastical.
Mu Draconis (Mags 5.7/5.7), 1993 from the Constellations series by Joan Fontcuberta
A diver supposedly finds the another skeleton of a fish-like animal with a humanoid skull.
A feat in evolutionary theory —
A diver supposedly finds the another skeleton of a fish-like animal with a humanoid skull.
Hydropithecus of Sanary, 2012 from the Sirens series by Joan Fontcuberta