Anyone who has ever read a Paco Roca comic book will have instantly recognized his characteristic color palette on the façade of one of the most emblematic buildings on Gran Vía: the Instituto Cervantes (Calle Alcalá, 49). An invitation and a preview of what can be found, until September 28, inside: the exhibition La memoria. Emotional journey through the comics of Paco Roca.
The exhibition, which draws from the private collection of the Valencian, gives the public the opportunity to walk through more than 70 pieces of his work as murals with unpublished drawings, framed cartoons, pages, sketches, notes, scripts and photographs of reference that span from 2007 to the present.
For example, those who knew him from Arrugas -which in addition to winning the National Comic Award in 2008 won Best Animated Film at the 2012 Goya Awards for its film adaptation- will find originals of the comic among the exhibits.
Paco Roca and memory, axis of the exhibition.
The Cervantes Institute speaks of Paco Roca’s exhibition -and his work- as a way of fighting “against oblivion” on three levels: historical memory, identity and family memory.
As for the artist, he defines it as “a journey in which on the way to our destination […] we stop to eat in a childhood picnic area, we take a detour to see a suggestive place, and chance makes us stop in an unexpected place”. They areplaces, memories, words or fears to which we return again and again.
Schedule
- Tuesday to Saturday: 11:00 am to 8:00 pm.
- Sundays and holidays: 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.
- Mondays closed.
On June 24, access will be through Barquillo Street, 4.
The Cervantes Institute and the exhibition of Antonio Palacios
In this case, in addition to the content, the “container” is also relevant, and it is precisely by doing a memory exercise that the architect behind the building that houses the exhibition is Antonio Palacios.
Very close to its location in CentroCentro (Plaza de Cibeles, 1) you can visit until July 6, 2025 an exhibition dedicated to the figure of this Galician who transformed the city forever.