Mateo Ruiz González: There was a garden here once

Facing Bench is pleased to present There was a garden here once, a solo exhibition of photographs by Mateo Ruiz González, from December 4, 2026—January 17, 2027. This exhibition brings together selected images from his photobook, Seventh Summer, developed during the LTP: The Photobook Program at Penumbra Foundation. The opening reception will take place on Friday, December 4, 6–9 PM. A panel discussion with the artist and important collaborators including writer George Weld will take place on Saturday, December 5, 2–4 PM.

This will be the first exhibition of works from González’s series Seventh Summer, a seven-year-long project intimately documenting his loving relationship—from genesis to finality—through the sensitive format of black and white film photography. Included in the exhibition are the photobook’s maquettes, highlighting the iterative investigation involved in creating the publication. Ruiz understands the ritual of tending to the publication as an extension of reconciling, reflecting, and healing from the end of his relationship.

There was a garden here once is also the inaugural exhibition at Facing Bench. This exhibition and photobook is an example of the interdisciplinary nature of the creative process and the importance of sustained investigations and their potential multi-modal outputs—foundational to Facing Bench’s programming. Of import is the way González directly engages with the field of literature: writer George Weld created a text specifically to accompany this body of work; and much of Mateo’s underlying research includes textual references, from Joe Bolton and Richard Siken to Louise Glück. This exhibition and related programming offers an opportunity to closely look at seven years’ worth of sustained research through the development of both Mateo’s own photographic language and the photobook—a unique presentation of the poetic contours of documentary photography, bookmaking and narrative building.