euskalkultura.eus

The Eusko Etxea was presented this year at the National Sun Festival with an unusual proposal: its participation in the Sun Carrousel was a float with a 3D reproduction of Picasso’s Guernica that was added to the long line of floats that participate in the parade.  “We were very well-received, the audience applauded for our float enthusiastically.”   Look at the photos. 

San Juan, Argentina.   Twenty-five floats participated this year in the Carousel of the Sun, one of the most important aspects of the National Sun Festival that is held every February in the Province of San Juan.  The floats belong to nineteen departments in the province and local foreign communities; every year the floats are constructed around a theme proposed by the organizers.  This year, 2016, marks the bi-centennial of Argentina’s Declaration of Independence, so this year’s theme was Independence and each float symbolized it in various ways.

In the case of the Basque community, the decision was made to parade with the portrait that symbolizes, like few others, Peace and the denunciation of war and violence in general and the one against the Basques in particular. Thus, Picasso’s Guernica was paraded through the streets of San Juan.  During the entire parade route, it was accompanied by the dantzaris, who didn’t stop dancing over the entire 3 kilometers.  “They truly represented,” Pablo Varela explained to EuskalKultura.com, the designer of the float and Basque club member.

The reproduction of the Guernica was achieved by Varela maintaining its original size and colors; every element is located in the space as it is in the original and was mounted on a red metallic structure, a color that also symbolizes the cruelty of war.  Without a doubt, it was a unique proposal, with a different design that invited reflection, “We received a standing ovation from part of the audience, with great expressions of affection and curiosity,” Varela continued.

The Basque club’s participation wasn’t just limited to the parade, but they also had a cultural stand and were part of the Meeting of Communities, called “Different Rays of the same Sun.”  The importance of the Basques presence in a festival of this magnitude is worth noting, which annually gathers nearly 150 thousand people, and is broadcast to every corner of the country on public television.  Well-deserved Zorionak to the San Juan Eusko Etxea!