Lluís Vecina Rufiandis. Happy the Children of Intranscendent Times

The Es Baluard Museum (Palma de Mallorca) and EUROM present the installation “Happy the Children of Intranscendent Times” by Lluís Vecina Rufiandis, curated by Marta Marín-Domine. The artwork explores the intertwined lives of photographer Joan Andreu Puig Farran and hotelier Jaume Moll, both connected to Sa Coma beach, the site of the 1936 Spanish Republican disembarkation during the Civil War, later transformed into a hub of mass tourism in the 1980s.

The installation opens on October 17, 2024, at 7 pm, and will be on display until January 19, 2025, before becoming available for itinerancy.

The centerpiece of the installation is a large mosaic featuring an enlarged postcard of the Hotel Royal Mediterráneo, produced by Joan Andreu Puig Farran’s company. Surrounding this are 500 postcards representing the militiamen who perished during the 1936 disembarkation, alongside audiovisual archival footage and a soundscape by Toni Llull. These elements juxtapose different historical periods, revealing the complex layers of Mallorca’s landscape.

Puig Farran, who covered the 1936 Landing as a war correspondent, later transitioned to commercial photography in the 1950s, documenting the same sites after they were transformed into tourist destinations. One such site, the imposing Hotel Royal Mediterráneo, was built by Jaume Moll, who thrived during Franco’s regime. The installation highlights how mass tourism obscured much of the island’s historical memory, masking a Francoist modernization effort that eroded both the physical landscape and its historical significance—including a mass grave from the war beneath the hotel.

Lluís Vecina Rufiandis (Porto Cristo, 1995), a Fine Arts graduate from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, has worked with MACBA Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona. He is also a member of Col·lectiu Recerca, a group dedicated to research and raising awareness about the Second Republic, the Spanish Civil War, and Francoist repression.


Side activity

Resistant Memories: Politics, Art and Tourism

The session will be attended by Jordi Guixé, director of the European Observatory of Memories (EUROM), who has collaborated on the exhibition. Before the start of the round table, Guixé will introduce the work of EUROM, whose main objective is to promote reflection on the recent history of the struggle for democracy and freedoms in Europe, defending the plurality of memories.

AGENDA

  • 19:15 h Guided visit to the exhibition “Lluís Vecina Rufiandis. Happy the Children of IntranscendentTimes” with the artist and the curator, Marta Marín-Dòmine (Exhibition Hall D)
  • 20:00 h Round table Resistant Memories: Politics, Art and Tourism (Auditori)

Participants:
Margalida Capellà, PhD in International Law
Marta Marín-Dòmine, PhD in Translation and Intercultural Studies
Natxa Pomar, artist
Manel Santana, PhD in History

Moderates:
Núria Ricart, PhD in Public Space and Urban Regeneration

When

October 18, 2024 → January 19, 2025

Where

Es Baluard Museu
Plaza Porta de Santa Catalina 10
Palma de Mallorca (Spain)

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