It\u2019s forty years since one\nof the first ones emerged, 1984<\/em>, and\nI thought it was a good moment to remember one of the milestones of the Spanish\ncomic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When we were preparing it,\nit had already arisen that one of the most important and commercial ones of\nthese leading magazines, El V\u00edbora<\/a><\/em>, would be\n40 years old in 2019 (it came out in 1979). <\/p>\n\n\n\n It wasn\u2019t a question of\nrepeating the topic of the Trade Fair (or Comic Barcelona<\/a>) of\n2019, but the agreement with the Museu Nacional d\u2019Art de Catalunya opened the\ndoors to proposing this exhibition. So\nthat\u2019s what we did, and the response of the Museu Nacional was, rapidly, very\npositive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In 2018, we got down to\nwork on the exhibition El\nV\u00edbora: Comix Countercultural<\/a> which you can see until 29th<\/sup> September at the\nMuseu Nacional. I have been lucky enough to work with \u00c0lex Mitrani,\nconservator of the museum, who from the outset was very enthusiastic about the\nproposal, and who is really the \u201cco-curator\u201d of this exhibition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\nwasn\u2019t easy to summarize the history of comic magazine\nwhich lived for 25 years<\/strong>.\nTo start with, aware that El\nV\u00edbora<\/em> was, initially, a magazine that took on the inheritance of the comix\nunderground<\/em><\/strong>, we preferred to concentrate on the first years of the\nmagazine, which are the ones, to a certain extent, that would mark its\nphilosophy. That is to say, trailblazing\ncomics, renewed graphics, which would surprise the readers for their sincerity\nand freshness, and which were capable of giving voice to marginal characters\nthen, and to touch on all types of issues from a perspective of a recuperated\nfreedom of expression. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Of course, it was important\nto minimally explain what the comix\nunderground<\/em> consisted of, how it was born, where it came from and how and\nwhen it settled in Barcelona in 1973. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We were also aware that it\nwas necessary to include in some way all the stages of the magazine, which from\nthe 1990s onwards would take on what has become the so-called alternative\ncomic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We therefore started to\nmake a list of the authors who would be basic for the exhibition, so as to be\nable to enjoy their originals, always thinking about specific pieces that have\na special significance in the history of this comic. Between \u00c0lex\nand me, we contacted them, and also some of their heirs and with private collectors\nand, of course, with\nEdiciones La\nC\u00fapula<\/a>, the publisher of El V\u00edbora<\/em>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n In\nthe research, some originals were found that weren\u2019t of El V\u00edbora <\/em>but the fact that they were by authors who had\ncollaborated with the magazine and belonged to their underground period, this\nmeant that they were a perfect complement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We\nalso took into account that the physical printed magazines were important and,\non the other hand, we selected some from the North American, European and\nSpanish underground period.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other idea, which I\nthink was right, was the fact of exhibiting printed copies of the magazine El V\u00edbora<\/em>, an extensive selection of\ncovers from throughout its history, from 1979 to 2004, including some special\nissues. Little by little, other\ncomplementary elements emerged, with documentaries or photographs, which in\nsome way offer a sometimes playful and sentimental view of those years. Moreover,\nphotographs were added of the creation of the live comic “Love in\nVallvidrera”, from 1980, a major piece and a large piece that had been loaned\nto the Museu Nacional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It was not easy choosing the originals, but little by little everything started taking shape. The exhibition was divided, in fact, into five large parts. Firstly, the explanation of what the comix underground<\/em> was and how it reached us; then, entering directly into El V\u00edbora<\/em>, three themes were chosen to distribute the originals: the urban setting, the response to power and the emergence of subversion, and eroticism and feminism. Finally, the exhibition of the covers. Everything, as I said before, complemented with documentaries, photographs and a chronology. In addition, some room texts that delved into some of the originals exhibited and the explanation of some complementary details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For me, it has been a unique experience to be able to put on this exhibition at the Museu Nacional. I would like to thank all the people of the Museum who have collaborated in it, for their professionalism and excellent work, their dedication at all levels. Especially to Pepe Serra, Meritxell Puig (the director of Comic Barcelona), Llu\u00eds Alabern and \u00c0lex Mitrani. And, of course, to all of those who have loaned originals and publications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The comic<\/strong> (and in this case especially El V\u00edbora<\/em>) has entered the museum<\/strong> (in fact it\u2019s been there for some time), and it\u2019s here to stay. Collaborating in this is…difficult to explain, but very satisfactory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Comics and the museum: an unresolved story<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nPreparing the exhibition about El V\u00edbora<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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A gratifying experience!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/a><\/figure><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nRelated links<\/h3>\n\n\n\n