May 31st to July 13th 2013
Opening Reception: May 31st, 6 – 8 pm
A Space Gallery, 401 Richmond, Toronto, Canada

del 31 de Mayo al 13 de Julio 2013
Recepción: 31 de Mayo de 18h a 20h
A Space Gallery, 401 Richmond, Toronto, Canada

A las barricadas / To the barricades

Los Fantasmas (The Ghosts) is a 16m long visual storytelling and an exploration of the silenced contemporary history of Spain. In 2010, experts calculated that more than 200,000 bodies had been buried in mass graves during the Spanish war (1936-1939) and the years of Franco’s fascist dictatorship (1939-1975). These same international experts considered Spain to have the second highest number of mass graves in the world. These are the bodies and civilians who fought fascism or who were on the way of the fascist troops. Their deaths-bodies-possessions-lives-families-suffering have never been acknowledged by the dictator regime nor the ¨democratic¨governments in place, nor the ¨democratic¨laws. Their fight against fascism inspire now the fight of hundreds of thousands of people in Spain who are fighting the government fascist policies  and advocating for the recovering of this silenced history.

Los Fantasmas is an illustrated narration dealing with the laws of silence and the ways in which silenced histories emerge and survive, in spite of the powers in place that work to erase these histories. Los Fantasmas is the story of mass graves in Spain. But it can also be the story of many other lands and people who are fighting to keep history/present/memory/identity alive against criminal systems in power.
I am interested in how these powerful ghosts of untold histories emerge from our pasts, impregnate the present, and cohabit our lives.

All along the mural there is a cohabitation between sadness and happiness, life and death, and some of the images may be triggering for you or your friends.

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Los Fantasmas es una narración visual de 16 m en la que se explora la silenciada historia contemporánea española. En 2010, expertos historiadores calcularon que más de 200.000 personas seguían enterradas en fosas comunes y cunetas y que España ocupa el segundo lugar mundial en el número de fosas. Estos cuerpos pertenecen a aquell*s que lucharon contra el fascismo o a l*s que se encontraron en su camino, civiles víctimas de un genocidio enfocado en crear terror. Este régimen fascista comienza en la Guerra Civil (1936 – 39), continúa en la dictadura franquista (1939 – 75) y renace ahora en las políticas actuales. La lucha y la resistencia antifascista inspira ahora los movimientos sociales que luchan contra las políticas fascistas del gobierno y por la recuperación de esta memoria histórica.

Los Fantasmas es una narración ilustrada que reflexiona sobre las leyes del silencio y cómo las historias silenciadas emergen y sobreviven, a pesar de los poderes que imponen una borradura de hechos y personas. Los Fantasmas es la historia de estas fosas comunes y esta historia silenciada en España. Pero podría ser la historia de muchas otras tierras y pueblos que están luchando para mantener su historia/presente/memoria/identidad viva frente a los sistemas criminales en el poder.
Me interesa cómo estos poderosos fantasmas de las historias no contadas emergen de nuestros pasados, impregnan nuestro presente y cohabitan nuestras vidas.

A lo largo de todo el dibujo la felicidad y la tristeza, la violencia y la alegría, la vda y la muerte cohabitan. Algunas de las imágenes pueden herir tu sensibilidad o la de tus amig*s.

La Desbandada de Malaga (detail)

La Marca España (detail)

El Pueblecito (detail)

MAY

• May 8th, Transcreen as part of the Amsterdam Transgender Festival presents The Hawker (Elisha Lim, Coco Riot 2012)
• May 24th-25th, Coco Riot presents their new comic at Montreal Anarchist Bookfair.
• May 31st, opening of Los Fantasmas at A Space Gallery (Toronto). The show runs until July.

JUNE

• June 20th – 25th, Coco Riot presents their new comic book at independent comic and printed art festival CRACK! (Rome, Italy).

JULY – AUGUST – SEPTEMBER … more shows to come in New York City, Montreal and Toronto!

Justice for…
Published on Shameless Magazine, Spring 2013.
By Coco Riot.

El Poeta del Pueblo // The People’s Poet (Los Fantasmas #7)

Miguel Hernández, el poeta del pueblo, murió en la cárcel en 1942, tras años de tortura a manos del régimen fascista español. Su familia no pudo conseguir las 25 pesetas (20 céntimos canadienses) que lo hubiesen podido liberar. Miguel Hernández murió con los ojos abiertos. Una vez muerto, cada vez que se los intentaron cerrar, se le volvían a abrir solos. Otro poeta dijo, que aún después de muerto, Miguel Hernández siempre miraría la injusticia a la cara y la desafiaría.

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Miguel Hernandez, the people’s poet, died in prison in 1942, after having been tortured for years by the Spanish fascist regime. His family couldn’t raise the 25 pesetas (20c) to free him. He died with his eyes wide open. When people tried to close his eyes, they kept on opening up. Another poet said that Miguel Hernandez, even after death, will always look at injustice on the eyes and fight against it.

By Coco Riot. Published in Shameless Magazine, 2012

For years now i have been making the comics i want to see around, comics that nourish my mind and my heart with the possibilities of social change and art. Luckily for me i have been invited to make comics about the most extraordinary subjects (Capitalism, sex within anarchism, new education systems, racist immigration laws, etc) with different organization and the amazing Shameless magazine.  I have also have the chance to personally meet awesome comic artists who, with their cartoons, their consistency, passion and professionalism, have inspired me and my work. With the series “Comics for revolution” i want to take these old comics out the internet drawer and let them be exposed, read, and shared. Enjoy it!

written by Elisha Lim, directed by Coco Riot. 2012

The Kiss : A kiss is a vulnerable moment happening between people, but also sometimes, a public radical political statement. This installation moves between this intimate kiss and the public kiss as a form of action and rebellion. A flag paper kissing-in installation, The Kiss invites the public to kiss, be kissed and take the art to their kissing spaces.
Soon to be shown in Hong-Kong and Toronto.
Installation by Coco Riot, curated by Alvis Choi, 2013.

Drawings and installation by Coco Riot

Los Fantasmas #6 (detalle/detail)

IN MEMORIAM.

La Desbandada de Málaga en la que murieron más de 5000 civiles el 17 de febrero de 1937 mientras huían de las tropas fascistas. Los cientos de ahogados y desaparecidos  que intentan cruzar del Norte de Africa a Europa en patera y cuya muerta diaria es observada tranquilamente por la vieja europa colonizadora. Las playas que ya no existen porque se convirtieron en resort para los mismos de siempre.
Recordando Los Fantasmas.
Descansen en Paz.

The Escape from Malaga, where more than 5000 civilians were killed while escaping from the fascist troops on February 17th 1937. The hundreds of drawn and missing people who try to cross from Northern Africa to Europe in wooden boats and whose daily death is peacefully observed by the colonizer old europe. The beaches that do not exist anymore because they were transformed into resorts for the same people as usual.
Remembering Los Fantasmas (The Ghosts).
Rest in Peace.

En el 76 aniversario de La Desbandada de Málaga en la que murieron más de 5000 personas mientras huían de las tropas fascistas. Recordando a las víctimas y terminando la ilustración que recuerda esta masacre dentro del mural Los Fantasmas.
Descansen en Paz.

On the 76th anniversary of the Escape from Malaga, where more than 5000 civilians were killed while escaping from the fascist troops. Remembering the victims and finishing the illustration that reminds us of this massacre within the mural Los Fantasmas (The Ghosts).
Rest in Peace.

Oh! This is the facebook page where you can join me from now on, read my art news and meet the artist and projects that inspire me!

Esta es la pagina de facebook donde podras encontrar todas las actualidades asi como los enlaces a mis artistas y proyectos favoritos