Seis Canciones Para La Democracia. Espacio Trapezio Madrid

October 15, 2015

Seis Canciones Para La Democracia. Espacio Trapezio Madrid

LA SOLFONICA (2015)
Single Channel HD Video 5.17 min Dimensions Variable

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The more that historians arrive at an understanding of the 20th century, the more the Spanish Civil War stands out as a pivotal event. This is because, if the 20th century was, to cite Eric Hobsbawm, an ‘age of extremes’ driven by ideological conflicts between communism, fascism and liberalism, then Spain was at the crux of these conflicts. The fight between the democratically elected Spanish Republic and the rebel Nationalist force led by General Franco was emblematic of the European clash between left- and right-wing forces.

Brigadas Internacionales were military units made up of volunteers from different countries, who traveled to Spain to fight for the Second Spanish Republic in the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939. The number of international combatant volunteers has been estimated at between 32,000–35,000. 225 were Norwegians.

The Volunteers in the International Brigade was the major international concentration of peoples ever known in the history of the time. It was well suited to receive the appellative of “Legion of Babel”; and Albacete where the recruiting center was located, “La Mancha’s Babel”. In George Orwell’s Animal Farm, its protagonists communicated, although not understanding, in the same language. We all know that reality is far beyond this fiction.