Galician Velazquez
None of the residents of Canido could have imagined 8 years ago that those houses, with dirty and chipped facades, in which no one wanted to live, would end up becoming a Outdoor museum . Nor that years later, those same homes would be on the social networks of all those who visit the Ferrol city. The person responsible for this artistic explosion is Edward Hermida, a local artist who, in order to make the façade of his studio more attractive, decided to paint a girl on it. She liked the result so much that “After the study, I continued with my daughter drawing two or three more to see if the neighborhood would improve. We were joined by two artists from the area and some painters who came to Ferrol”, he explains.
Galician Velazquez
That was the case for George Heads, the artist from Coruña who captured his expressionist menina. A drawing in line with the rest of the creations but which, however, did not work out among one of the neighbors who, dissatisfied with the work, decided to erase it with a brush and a pot of white paint. That unfortunate act was what triggered the whole movement. “The artists took it so badly that many of them came to Canido to paint more meninas in solidarity with Cabezas” Hermida explains. “I think that if it hadn't been for that, Las meninas de Canido wouldn't have had such an impact”. With the support of the residents and the Ferrol City Council, today the neighborhood can boast of already having more than 200 meninas exposed on the walls and facades of the area.
Although art is not always understood by everyone. Almost three and a half centuries have passed since Diego Velázquez portrayed those three ladies-in-waiting with the family of Philip IV. A painting that, although it is considered one of the most important in universal painting, for some it is a symbol of Spanishness. As Hermida explains, “There were some statements by a Galician nationalist militant who branded the work as an allegory to the oldest monarchy and a purely Spanish symbol. The truth is that I chose this figure because I am fascinated by Velázquez”, he explains. “There are sculptures of meninas all over Spain: Oviedo, Madrid, Bilbao... I see it as a representation of one of the most important works of universal painting”.
The project started 'by accident'
Perhaps for this reason, during the tour we can meet some of them dressed in the typical Galician costume , or with the Castro's girl , in honor of Rosalía de Castro, one of the most illustrious writers of Galician literature. Her drawing is accompanied by a poem. And it is that, although many of the representations they try to be faithful to the original characters , fashion and trends have been some of the factors to take into account when modernizing Velázquez's work.
Menina Castro and Eduardo Hermida
The rise of cats in social networks has led to the creation of Las gatoninas , three meninas in the shape of a pussycat. Film and television have also had an influence, which is why we find The Girl in Wonderland , by illustrator Amayeah; The alien girl or even its manga version. Other outstanding works are those of Raphael Romero , which represents these women in the most vindictive version of him: holding a banner with the slogan Ferrol wakes up! ; The Catrina de Peewe, alluding to Mexican culture; Blanca Vila's selfie; or even Las meninas with different shapes like a piece of Lego or a cupcake.
The Gatonines
Between painters, musicians, dancers, photographers, sculptors and poets, more than a thousand artists from all over the world have already passed through Canido. The great novelty that they have incorporated this year is that, of the 200 works spread around the neighborhood, 20 of them are actually augmented reality. Carrying a well-charged battery will be essential, because in this part of Ferrol, visitors s don't look for pokemons , but these have been replaced by pieces of art. An application called Visuar allows that, by simply focusing on the painting, it comes to life and, through the smartphone, we can see how they move. An innovation in the artistic world.
girl poppins
The best date to visit them will be the next september because, as Hermida has explained, “ We are doing another edition and artists from all over the world will come. About 50 more meninas will be painted, the idea is that there are no abandoned walls in the neighborhood”. Although there is no defined route, but the most advisable thing is to get lost in the different streets that make up Canido, this movement has its own hashtag where the images that visitors upload to social networks are brought together. You can follow him on #MeninasdeCanido.
MADRID WANTS ITS MENINAS
The meninas of Ferrol are a clear example of how art is capable of revitalizing the most deprived areas of a city. This movement, which today is a focus of tourism in Ferrol, has not gone unnoticed by some Spanish towns that dream of their own works of street art. This is the case in Madrid, where Mayor Manuela Carmena contacted Eduardo Hermida directly to talk about his project and ** how they could apply it in their community **. “At first they were interested in the theme revolving around Don Quixote, since this year their 400th anniversary. However, as the creation of the works takes time, it was a bit fair, so it is most likely that they will finally opt for Las Meninas Hermida explains. And it is that, although there is still no information about the place or when they will begin to make the paintings, Las meninas are already prepared to cross the country and make new neighborhoods fashionable.
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Las Meninas de Ferrol, can they come to Madrid?