On 25th October 1971, Pablo Picasso enjoyed his 90th birthday. To mark this occasion, a campaign was launched in Madrid and Barcelona in recognition of the artist. However, this celebration was perceived by certain sectors in society as a promotion of the subversion and anti-Francoism associated with the artist, and far-right groups carried out a series of attacks against events held for Picasso. They destroyed the engravings from the series “Suite Vollard”, which the Theo gallery in Madrid was exhibiting in homage to the artist, they attacked bookshops including Antonio Machado, Visor and Cinc d’Oros because they had mounted shop front window displays about the painter, and they committed an arson attack on the Taller de Picasso gallery in Barcelona.
In response to these attacks, especially the fire which destroyed the Taller de Picasso gallery, the young gallery owner Santiago Palet decided to organize a tribute to the painter. Visual artists, musicians, writers, personalities from cinema and theatre were all invited to create a work of art on a doily or placemat – a lace cotton base – dedicated to Picasso. All these pieces were gathered together and present in an exhibition, 1er. Rencontre International d’Hommage à Picasso, in Vallauris a year later. It became known as a political act of opposition to the violence, demonstrating the indignation of the art world at the attacks against the artist, as well as the frustration caused by the government’s attitude which made those attacks possible.
This extraordinary collection was acquired by Fundació Vila Casas, which exhibited it for the first time in 2022 in the Espais Volart, curated by Nadia Hernández. Two years later, the exhibition moves to the Casa del Cordón, in Burgos. In late September, we will show the 281 placemat artworks signed by artists such as Joan Brossa, Eduardo Chillida, Sonia Delaunay, Equipo Crónica, Joan Miró, Pablo Neruda and Antoni Tàpies, among others.
The exhibition Objetivo Picasso, curated by Nadia Hernández, has been adapted for this show by Javier del Campo, Art Director at Fundación Caja de Burgos and Curator at CAB (Centro de Arte Caja de Burgos) and Cultural Cordón.
Casa del Cordón, Burgos
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