Just one day after May First 2008, the 40th celebration of the 1 May 1968 in Paris, and the subsequent events in Mexico, Berkeley, Columbia, etc., and a couple of days before the 5 de Mayo festivity when Mexicans celebrate the defeat of the French army of Napoleon III invading Mexico to install Emperor Maximilian of Hapsburg in 1862; On May 2nd of 2008, the Madrileños celebrated the 200 year anniversary of the uprising against the occupying French forces of Napoleon I.
In order to celebrate this event which started what is called the Spanish War of Independence and a consolidation of Spain as a nation, the government of Madrid headed by the Mayor of Madrid Alberto Ruiz Gallardón organized a series of public events that were to represent six of the works by the famous Spanish painter Francisco de Goya.
The fights and representations included a representation at the Plaza Mayor of “carga de los mamelucos” a confrontation between Spanish rebels and Egyptian fighters under Napoleon’s orders.
Goya (1814) "La Carga de los Mamelucos"
(RESTORED VERSION EL PRADO 2008)
A symbolic re-enactment at the Plaza Mayor de Madrid. May 2nd 2008. With horses like those rid by the French and Mamluk armies and with a North African band "representing" the modern day Mamluks, or modern day Arab enemies (something not that faraway from how some Spanish newspapers and politicians depict immigrant from this area today).
The Killings of May 3rd 2008
A good metaphorical example of rebellion against symbolic violence, or the ultimate domination through language, is represented by the Fura in this funny rap act “No se dice REY se dice RUA [ROI].”
The Killings of May 3rd 2008
Goya (1814) "Los Fusilamientos de la montaña del Príncipe Pío."
(RESTORED VERSION EL PRADO 2008)
After the risings of May 2nd, 1808 French Mariscal Joaquim Murat takes control of Madrid and orders the death of all those presumed to have acted in the rebellion. Goya paints this painful event at the end of the war. And the following videos are a 21st century representation/commemoration of these bloody events.
Video 1: The Capture of the rebels/patriots/terrorists
Video 2: Prisoner rebels marching to face their destiny at the hands of their French executioners.
Video 3: Shot!
Video 4: The Dead, to become independence fighters and war heroes after France's withdrawal in 1814.
The horrors of war (series by Goya as represented by la Fura dels Baus.
End of war. The promise of the Cadiz Constitucion (represented bellow as a woman given birth to modern Spain!) This enlightened Constitution that gave rights to foreigners in Spain and their possibility to become citizens, and gave the colonies more independence, unfortunately the returning Spanish king Fernando VII ended up dismissing the liberal constitution and reestablished the Monarchy with sovereignty residing in his person; at the end this only accelerated the determination from the independence movements in Latin America to cut ties with Madrid.
Thank you Madrid and Fura dels Baus the show was incredible I wished I could publish more of the videos that include a performance of the Marseillaise sang in Madrid, Fernando VII in the tightrope, an operatic duo performance, peace doves, and many more delights. You had to be there to see this interactive representation that made you feel as if you were part of the rebellion on the Second of May!
Text, photos and videos (under fair use and explicit permission by the producers) by Ernesto Castaneda-Tinoco.
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