Lecture: The Poetics of Spanish Democracy – Images of Protest and Memories of Resistance

The lecture will focus on the concept of democratic memory regarding the Spanish Civil War, resistance to the Franco regime, and the transition to democracy. During the lecture, several works featured in the exhibition will be analyzed, alongside numerous other artworks and historical references. The significance of symbols and images related to democratic memory in Spain will also be discussed, including, of course, Guernica, anti-fascist art, figures in exile, and a culture of resistance. Finally, the lecture will address the relevance of historical memory to this day.

About Germán Labrador Méndez
Germán Labrador Méndez is a Distinguished Researcher (ATRAE) at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), affiliated with the Institute of Language, Literature and Anthropology (ILLA-). He was a Full Professor at Princeton University until 2024 and Director of Public Activities at the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid (2021-2023). He is currently developing a research project on the relationship between culture and democracy in Spain (1868-2024). He was the curator of the exhibitions Esperpento. Popular Art and Aesthetic Revolution (Reina Sofia Museum, 2024) and The Democratic Skylight. Politics of Death and Life in the Spanish State (Secretary of State for Democratic Memory). His publications include Culpables por la Literatura. Counterculture and Political Imagination in the Spanish Transition (Akal, 2017).

Practical Information

• Sunday 8.Mar.2026 at 15:00
• On the occasion of the last day of EUROPALIA ESPAÑA | Resistance. The Power of the Image
• In English
• Free admission
• Registration via reservation@smak.be
• Location: S.M.A.K. Auditorium