Project Orwell Monegros: A Transdisciplinary Platform of Cultural Events

The Orwell Monegros Project pivots around the figure of George Orwell, celebrates The Monegros and promotes a culture of peace. These are the three pillars around which the project has been designed. As an artist, I have presented two art installations: Homenaje a Los Monegros, the site-specific land art installation for the Orwell trenches of the Ruta Orwell, and Homenaje a Aragón, the art installation that opens a dialogue with the architectures of the CDAN Museum in Huesca.

When presenting the Orwell Monegros Project to local institutions to get permits and patronages, I have always presented it as a “white canvas” that could have been filled with other initiatives related to the themes highlighted by the initiative. And the project has been growing.

The Ayuntamiento of Alcubierre, main supporter of the project as the trenches of the Ruta Orwell are on its territory, is the local institution that has been organizing a series of events. The day of the opening in the Orwell trenches, the Ayuntamiento organized an exhibition on George Orwell in the Spanish Civil War, also projecting the documentary movie “Orwell in Alcubierre” (with narration by local writer and historian Víctor Pardo), in partnership with Comarca Los Monegros and the Centro de Investigación de la Guerra Civil de Robres, who treasures the documentary in its archives.

More events in Alcubierre as part of the Orwell Monegros Project: next Saturday June 3, 2017, the ayuntamiento is organizing a conference on George Orwell in the Spanish Civil War (in association with the Republican Circle Manolín Abad, of Huesca) and a live concert by protest folk band Adebán, also from Huesca. DPH, the Diputación Provincial de Huesca, has also participated to the calendar of events by organizing a press conference last May 16th at the institution’s headquarters in Huesca.

These days I’m personally working with the Ayuntamiento of Sariñena to plan a movie retrospective on “dystopian cinema” – those movies that depicts a dystopian future and society such as those imagined (forecasted?) by George Orwell in his masterpiece novel 1984. As a creative director for this initiative, I’m selecting classic titles such as Farheneit 451, The Truman Show, Gattaca, Brazil and many others – including of course the movie adaptations of Orwell’s own work, 1984 and Animal Farm. Besides of the classics, there will be many interesting movie gems from the indie circuits – no spoilers for now, watch this space for updates coming soon.

I’m discussing with several institutions the possibility to add other projects “under the umbrella” of the Orwell Monegros Project, but no spoilers on this neither. I can only say for now that one project will be focusing on the environment and kids education towards peace, another will focus more on contemporary literature – of the dystopian kind, of course!

As I have mentioned in the presentation of the art project, the two installations I created for the trenches of the Ruta Orwell and the CDAN Museum in Huesca add also some spirituality infused in the process. Inspired by some artist communities I know, such as the SF-based Art Monastery and the Italian Damanhur, I have included in the production process a series of spiritual practices and energetic/vibrational input. Not an “event”, but it certainly adds up to the transdisciplinary spirit of the entire project.

More initiatives will be rolled out within the Orwell Monegros Project during next summertime, and certainly next autumn/winter. If anybody – individual, association, institution – is interested in participating to the project, just get in contact and let’s talk about it!