'LAS MENINAS' IN CANIDO ARE EXPORTED TO EUROPE.
Canido, in Ferrol, and Montmartre, in Paris, share nothing in common but the fact of being located on a hill at the top of the city and keeping some characteristics of the villages they used to be long ago. Those aspects create a personality of their own in both quarters.
Apart from their cahracteristics, they also share 'art' and that is because a popular initiative has transformed the walls of the decayed quarter in Ferrol into a live reinterpretation of the famous painting by Velázquez, Las Meninas. This way, Canido, has taken its place in the map of the European Route of Impressionism, which has its origin in the popular Parisian hill.
Las Meninas are the expression of the non-conformist rebellion of a neighbourhood which has been forgotten for years. It’s a shout against the degradation that has been the spirit of the quarter for a long time, a way to claim the need to recover its own cheerful spirit and bring hope of a better life for future generations.
Ferrol born Eduardo Hermida, painter, photographer and musician, suggested painting the walls of abandoned houses in the neighbourhood in 2008. Since then, his idea of interpreting Las Meninas painting has filled the quarter with colour and life and has attracted the attention of more than 500 painters who have already taken part in the event along its successful life.
How has this project contributed to change this decayed area? Today, many tourists, schools and people attracted by art visit this quarter, which otherwise, would be ignored. Together with the paintings, other activities such as workshops, theatre, poetry or music, fair trade products sale, and others, are held during the weekend when the event is held. Its last edition was celebrated last September with about 20,000 visitors.
The association ‘Eau et Lumiére’ founded in France in 2009, with the participation of Ignacio Fernández (born in Ferrol) is fighting so that the Route des Impressionnismes en Europe will be included in the European Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. They are trying to promote the outstanding cultural heritage and touristic values of those landscapes and places painted by the landscape painters in the XIXth and XXth centuries. France, Germany and Slovenia, together with some other spots in Spain already form part of this project. In June 2015, this institution included Ferrol and Las Meninas de Canido amongst the sites which form part of the proposed route. Eduardo Hermida attended the meeting at La Bonne Franquette in Montmartre, Paris, where he presented the Spanish proposal. The argument which supports this inclusion is that Las Meninas de Canido recover the routine of ancient painters who used to leave their studies to come out to the streets in the open air and had to adapt themselves to any light and climate conditions. The inititiative is supported by the town council as well.
Today, Canido is looking forward to the recognition and inclusion of this form of art in the project Route des Impressionnismes en Europe. It is expected that if the recognition as ‘European Route of Impressionism’ is achieved it will bring new tourist itineraries to less-known destinations and new cultural projects to this area in Galicia and it will help to disseminate its cultural background and to strengthen the democratic dimension of cultural exchange. Canido and Ferrol are showing a lively, creative and open-minded way of interpreting art which is helping improve the quarter.
Fonts:
http://culture-routes.net/projects/cultural-routes-candidates/european-route-impressionisms
http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/culture/routes/default_en.asp
https://es-es.facebook.com/eau-lumi%C3%A8re-231152316900295/
https://scontent.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xaf1/v/t1.0-9/s720x720/11796173_10153418921615502_7725787657916560562_n.jpg?oh=f6f8844e0a32ce4c1400318fe3d415b2&oe=56EFC8DB
http://www.ferrol360.es/de-canido-a-montmartre-las-meninas-viajan-a-paris/
http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/noticia/cultura/2015/06/13/canido-exporta-meninas-europa/0003_201506H13P60992.htm
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