Saturday, June 11, 2011

Kids' Guernica in San Sebastian, Spain

May 2011, Kids' Guernica workshops were held from 4th till 29 of May 2011 in San Sebastian, Spain. The children of the KIDS corner-Haurtxoko in Basque of the cultural centre called Palacio de Aiete organized the series of workshops. Aiete is a cultural centre that is housed in the former holiday residence of Dictator Franco. This residence is now a centre for peace, huma rights and reconciliation.

The group of 23, 6-9 year-old children participated in the workshops. Miss Beatxu Txuruka, an artist lead the workshop without intervention in the artistic expression of children.

During the first two workshops, three persons shared with the group their unfortunate experiences living through the Spanish Civil War and the Franco Dictatorship. During the fifth workshop, the participants watched the documentary "Children from Guernica" and spoke to Mr. Manuel Gonzales who was one of the initiators of a Kids' Guernica event, Bruges, Belgium. Mr. Gonzalez is the son of a Nino de la Guerra-a kid of the war. In the Spanish context, Ninos de la Guerra refers to the group of children who were transported to European countries like France, Belgium and Russia during the Spanish Civil War and grew up in these hosting countries during the Dictatorship of Franco. The father of Mr. Gonzalez originated from San Sebastian and grew up in Ghent, Belgium. Title of this peace painting is "La Aspiradora magica de la Paz" which means "The Magic Vaccum Cleaner of Peace". The canvas shows the black silhoutte of children who participated in the workshop. The painting has an orientation to the right where outside of imagined a large vaccum cleaner of Peace that protects them from the war and put them in the save situation of peace. The body language of the silhouttes signifies a sad situation. every child has filled his/her own silhoutte in colors. In bewtween the silhouttes there are painted objects, persons or feelings that the children feel they will not have in case of war.The finished peace paintinf was displayed in front of the House of Peace and Reconciliation during the festival Romeolas on 29 May, Sunday.The event in San Sevastian was run parallel with a Kids' Guernica event in Wroclaw, Ploand. The general responsible for the Guernica bombing was born close to the city of Wroclaw. The final products of both Kids' Guernica events were delivered in the same week .