Bilbao City Council and the Gogora Institute unveil the travelling phase of the Remembrance Square citizen participation initiative

The Mayor of Bilbao, Juan Mari Aburto, and Aintzane Ezenarro, the Director of the Institute for Remembrance, Coexistence and Human Rights – Gogora, have unveiled the travelling phase of the Remembrance Square initiative. It is a citizen participation project that seeks to compile and showcase accounts of what happened in the Basque Country in recent decades in order to construct a shared and pluralistic memory. The Remembrance Square project will reach out to the general public in order to facilitate this gathering of accounts at an exhibition that will run at Bilbao’s El Arenal from 1 to 12 February.

During a press conference held this morning at the Gogora Institute, the Mayor of Bilbao stressed that “Bilbao wishes to learn about and remember so many innocent victims of barbarity. We must not forget them, but without bitterness, so that it does not happen again, and we must work closely with them all to move on from that darkest time of our history”.

Aburto, who welcomed the Gogora initiative, expressed his great satisfaction that it was starting in Bilbao, “as, so far, we have managed to be the municipality where all the remembrance acts have had the unanimous support of all the political groups of the City Council and we have done so taking the victims, their relatives and their nearest and dearest into account".

OBJECTIVES

This travelling phase of the Remembrance Square project has four objectives:

1. Disseminate and share the remembrance process through an exhibition and drive a reflection constructed between all of us.

2. Provide a space where the general public can leave their accounts.

3. Work on the memories at municipal level by driving dynamics in order to share critical reflections on the past.

4. Bring and showcase the Gogora Institute to the general public

EXHIBITION VENUE

During the first 12 days of February, Bilbao’s El Arenal will host this remembrance exhibition. A marquee will be erected with different areas that will be open from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. and from 5.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. The exhibition will be as organised as follows:

o Account recording area: visitors to the exhibition can record or write in situ their accounts of what they remember..

o Account videos: visitors can listen to the accounts of victims of Franco’s dictatorship, terrorism and the victims coming under Decree 107/2012.

o Screening and discussion area: two documentaries will be screened and group dynamics and talks will be organised:

o Message mural: visitors to the exhibition can leave a written message on a mural and also in an urn, to be kept at the Gogora Institute and to be published on the Remembrance Square website.

PROGRAMME

The Remembrance Square events will start on 1 February:

o 11.00 a.m. on 1 February: Exhibition opening ceremony

o 7.00 p.m. on 2 February: round table with the participation of victims of terrorism, unlawful police violence and Franco’s dictatorship.

o 8.00 p.m. on 4 February: “Constructing Memory: A Dialogue between Victims and Society. Group Dynamics regarding Memory and Coexistence”. (please confirm attendance)

o 7.00 p.m. on 9 February: Film forum with the documentary: “Bar Aldana: explosión de silencio”. [Bar Aldana: Explosion of Silence]

o 7.00 p.m. on 11 February: Film forum with the documentary: “El Valor de la autocrítica” [The Value of Self-Criticism]

REMEMBRANCE SQUARE BACKGROUND

Started in June 2015, the Remembrance Square initiative has involved, on the one hand, by gathering accounts and emotions directly from the general public, and, on the other hand, by getting discussion groups to address remembrance. After this first phase, the Gogora Institute wishes to showcase and expand these pluralistic memories by creating spaces for anyone who wishes to contribute their account. Different travelling exhibitions are therefore being organised and which will begin in Bilbao in February.