At the Spain Pavilion of the Bogotá International Book Fair (Filbo) 2025, with Spain as the guest country, the exhibition "Drawn Memory" celebrates the significant role of comics in recovering and disseminating Spanish historical memory. Curated by Antonio Monegal, the exhibition presents a selection of fundamental works that, through the language of comics, have sensitively and profoundly addressed crucial moments such as the Civil War, exile and deportation to concentration camps, the harsh postwar period, and the prolonged dictatorship, culminating in the democratic transition.
"Drawn Memory" demonstrates how comics, through fiction, direct testimony, and rigorous documentation, have brought the often-silenced voices and experiences of this crucial period in Spanish history to a wide audience. The exhibition, organized chronologically according to the date of the comics' first edition, offers a visual and narrative journey through the works of prominent authors such as Carlos Giménez with his powerful "36-39 Bad Times," Antonio Altarriba's moving "The Art of Flying," Sento Llobell's unique perspective in "Dr. Uriel," Ana Penyas's generational perspective in "In Transition," the heartbreaking testimony of "Deported 4443" by Carlos Hernández and Ioannes Ensis, Javier de Isusi's search for refuge in "Asylum," Ximo Abadía's exploration of "Frank," Teresa Valero's political tension in "Contrapaso," and Paco Roca's reflection on oblivion in "The Abyss of Oblivion."
This exhibition is a tribute to the ability of sequential art to transcend generations, to keep memory alive, and to foster a deeper understanding of a past that continues to resonate in the present. "Drawn Memory" invites the viewer to explore these graphic narratives that, with firm strokes and eloquent words, have contributed invaluable to the construction of a more complete and empathetic collective memory.
