Common
Grave((
C(Common Grave)(Common Grave)
Günter
Schwaiger and Tom Lavin
12.16.05 to 01.28.06
12.16.05
to 01.28.06
El
Ojo Atómico, Antimuseo de Arte Contemporáneo
08.15.06
to
09.01.06
Centro
Cultural Español
Calle
Guatemala 18, Centro histórico, México city.
09.23.06
to
10.01.06
ARGEKultur
Salzburg,
Josef-Preis-Allee 16, A-5020 Salzburg
Ojo Atómico
proudly presents Fosa Común (Common Grave),
a project by Tom Lavin
and Günter Schwaiger on the subject of missing
persons from the Franco regime.
Schwaiger and Lavin offer multimedia works that refuse to succumb to
the silencing caused by political repression and states of terror and
catalog the current resurgence of corpses in Spain.
To date in Spain 70 graves have been discovered and 571 corpses exhumed,
but this is just the tip of the iceberg as the exact quantity of graves
is incalculable and the number of missing could exceed 100,000.
The fascist coup-d’état led by General Francisco Franco
in 1936 against the Spanish Republic found an unexpected popular resistance
that triggered a long and cruel civil war. Its military campaign was
complemented with the extermination of any possible opponent. The Guardia
Civil, Spanish Armed Forces, the Falange party and civilians in support
of the coup
collaborated in mass executions which lack records of the extent of
this operation.
2006 marks 70 years since this initial event and the Spanish government
has yet to recognize
the existence of executions performed outside of the judicial system
though evidence that
hundreds of unmarked graves exist throughout the country is unquestionable.
For Fosa Común, Günter Schwaiger
screens the film Santa Cruz, por ejemplo… The
documentary records the work of a team of forensic archeologist who
slowly extract human
bones in Santa Cruz, Burgos while family members of the victims ready
themselves to take the remains to the local cemetery. Despite the fact
that in Spain the presence and authorization of a judge is necessary
to move human remains, the absence of any such person is proven in the
film. The documentary’s interviews with local authorities and
members of the community project a sharp image of the tension that this
subject still evokes.
Tom Lavin uses earth collected from the Santa Cruz
grave to draw a map of Spain and locates it on the gallery floor. Forcing
audiences to travel over it to view an exhibition that highlights deleted
and false information linked with a human drama. The action of stepping
over the map causes its disappearance and metaphorically comments on
Spanish historical memory.
In addition, informational panels offering historical data, statistics
on the missing, and visuals of grave sites and the objects found in
them allow audiences come to understand the extent of this tragedy.
Contributing the first topographical map of unmarked graves in Spain
with
supporting material provided by the Association for the Recovery
of Historical Memory
(ARMH) this data has great value as a historical document.
Sponsor:
Contributor:
Asociación para la Recuperación de la Memoria
Histórica
Thankfulness:
Luis Gonzalo Martínez, Natasha García Lomas, ediciones
despacio mobcoop ediciones, Ángel Sáenz; Martin Eller,
y a los socios y simpatizantes de la ARMH que han ofrecido sus testimonios.
Photographs, Centro Cultural de España en México:
Theda Acha