A Madrid exhibition showcases the work of celebrated Spanish comic book artist Paco Roca, marking 50 years since the death of Francisco Franco. The exhibition, "Memory: An Emotional Journey Through the Comics of Paco Roca," explores how Roca uses his art to recover, preserve, and share memories and testimonies of the Francoist dictatorship, aiming to create a visual record of horrors that were repressed into silence.
‘People were repressed into silence’: the Spanish artist creating a visual memory of fascism’s horrors
SpainEuropeWorldComics and graphic novelsFrancisco FrancoArtArt and design
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️A Madrid exhibition showcases the work of celebrated Spanish comic book artist Paco Roca, marking 50 years since the death of Francisco Franco. The exhibition, "Memory: An Emotional Journey Through the Comics of Paco Roca," explores how Roca uses his art to recover, preserve, and share memories and testimonies of the Francoist dictatorship, aiming to create a visual record of horrors that were repressed into silence.
Trending- 1 1975: Death of Francisco Franco (50 years ago).
- 2 1980: Sketch of Paco Roca by his drawing teacher.
- 3 June 5, 2025: Article published, exhibition opens as part of year-long program marking 50 years since Franco's death.
- Preservation of historical memory
- Challenging historical revisionism
- Reflection on political polarization
- Potential for discomfort among sections of the Spanish right
What: An exhibition titled "Memory: An Emotional Journey Through the Comics of Paco Roca" is being held in Madrid, showcasing the work of comic book artist Paco Roca. The exhibition marks 50 years since the death of Francisco Franco and focuses on Roca's efforts to recover and share memories and testimonies of the Francoist dictatorship, creating a visual memory of its horrors.
When: Published June 5, 2025. Marks 50 years since the death of Franco (1975), "40 years" of silence during dictatorship, "1980" (sketch of Roca).
Where: Madrid (Spain), Europe, Argentina.
Why: To commemorate 50 years since Franco's death, to highlight the importance of historical memory, and to create a visual record of the atrocities of fascism in Spain, which lacked the visual documentation seen after WWII.
How: The exhibition is structured as an "atlas" or "encyclopaedia" of Roca's creative process, featuring murals, annotated strips, sketches, photos, and reference points. Roca uses testimonies, including inherited family memories, to reconstruct and draw the experiences of those repressed during the dictatorship. The exhibition is part of a year-long program organized by Spain's democratic memory ministry.