No, it is not a paid promotion to the famous search engine that almost all of us use on a daily basis? In fact, anyone who has a cell phone with Android operating system, will agree with me that on certain dates, the company of the huge "G", usually reminds you of events that you have lived and that you have saved in the cell phone gallery... This has been my case, just today is the one year anniversary of my visit to the Museum of Culture of Valencia, capital of the state where I live, Carabobo. A beautiful moment, which happened on a Saturday, 365 days ago...
For me, art, cultivating respect for spaces that only aim to show the most beautiful feats of the human facet, is something that I can hardly forget. And I am not exaggerating. On the contrary. I remember that Saturday, a year ago, we decided to go with 4 friends to enjoy the gallery exhibition of a very famous Latin American comic; "Mafalda and her friends". For those who do not know who she is, and why she is so important, let me explain briefly.
In the 70's, in the southern cone of the continent: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, southern Brazil and Paraguay, the worst dictatorships in the continent took place. All of them military dictatorships, which brought (of course) misfortunes, suffering and disappearances... In this context, a comic strip was born about a little Argentine girl who questioned the oppressive power with her arguments and her irreverent sense of freedom. She was not a political activist, but a girl with an indisputable warrior soul.
Without violence or a marked political tendency, Mafalda, together with her friends, marked the generation of her time. The impact of this simple comic strip was so great that the militaristic and authoritarian governments of that time decided to censor it, even banning it in some parts of the continent... In Venezuela, the work of Quino, its creator, impregnated the Sunday newspapers. In my country, and even more so at the age I was at the time, I was not sufficiently aware to be able to relate his dialogues to the context.
Years later, I learned of the importance of her legacy. In college, while studying arts, I learned about her true impact and how that simple but powerful concept of freedom that distinguished her and her fictitious friends, made that more than 50 years later we all talk about her, that we never forget her and that she even inspires a complete gallery with the work of her author: Quino, and a tribute to her career.
That Saturday, a year ago, I felt like a child again. Admiring and photographing the comic strips, but the real ones! Made by the virtuoso hand of their illustrator. Inches away from me were those illustrious demonstrations of art. As you can see in the pictures, I was really immensely happy. And Weekend Experiences perfectly sums up the spirit of knowing how to appreciate what happens to us in life. All summarized in just a couple of days of the week, but without a doubt, I could not let it pass without making this post.
Now, my real purpose is that you can also see the importance of what this experience has been for me. Not only for the historical background and culture, but for the message that is immersed in it. No matter what historical context we are in, finding the flame of freedom, protecting it and never letting it go out should be one of the best lessons of our lives. I was aware of where I was headed, but I am so grateful to still have the ability to be surprised and to keep beautiful memories. They may not be of the best quality, but they are still alive in my heart and mind.
All pictures in this post, are owned by me. And yes, haha, I forgot to put this part in the post, sorry.
