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A sculpture by Spanish artist Eugenio Merino, featuring a figure of Spain's former dictator Francisco Franco inside a refrigerator, is seen at the ARCO art fair in Madrid Feb. 15, 2012.
A sculpture of former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco set inside a fridge was drawing mixed reviews at a contemporary art fair, which opened Wednesday in Madrid.
The work is by Spanish artist Eugenio Merino, who depicts the general wearing a green uniform and sunglasses with his knees bent inside the fridge, according to a report by AFP. The fridge is decorated to resemble a Coca-Cola logo.
Merino said the sculpture “Always Franco” was designed to symbolize how persistence of the general as a topic of conversation in Spain, despite his death in 1975. He ruled Spain from 1939.
Read more by AFP on France24.com
"It represents the idea that in Spain people are keeping the image of Franco alive. We don't stop talking about him, debating about him. A fridge is where things are kept alive and fresh," he told AFP.
The sculpture is made of resin, silicon and human hair. The art fair, known as ARCO, runs Wednesday-Sunday and features works from 215 art galleries in 29 countries.
"There are people who really like it, others who can't stand it. Spain is very divided on the topic of the dictatorship," Merino told AFP.
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It's the same as having a refrigerated statue of Hitler or Stalin, among others.
But, according to SLN, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
Bet William F Buckley is having orgasms in his grave. Buckley thought the Generalissimo the God of all gods.
Coca-Cola ribbon is a trademark violation.
Jerry: I don't think that applies to a one of a kind work of art. Multiple editions are a different story.
Never heard of him.
I'm assuming you mean the artist. I hadn't either. But someone who created this isn't all bad: http://web.eugeniomerino.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/stayin-alive-.jpg