La Cruz de la Victoria.

Often when people ask where I am from and I answer I am Spanish, they think I live in the beach, I dance sevillanas, etc. I have to explain them that Spain is big and there is a big diference between the South and the North.

I am from Asturias, a region in the North of Spain, where a lot of years ago, in 722 AC, Don Pelayo won the battle of Covadonga againt the muslims and started La Reconquista.

©Susanalf, 2013. La Cruz de La Victoria, Cangas de Onis.

Cuenta la historia que la cruz de madera que se encuentra en el interior de la Cruz de la Victoria fue la que el rey Don Pelayo enarboló en la Batalla de Covadonga, en el año 722, cuando las tropas asturianas derrotaron a las musulmanas. 

As the history says inside La Cruz de la Victoria there is a small wooden cross that Don Pelayo wore when he won the Battle of Covadonga.

Cangas de Onis was the 1st Capital of Spain. Later, in 812, Alfonso II moved the capital to Oviedo. We will have time in the future to continue talking about history and Oviedo. Today I would like to talk about Gijón, my city.

Gijon is in the coast of Cantabric sea. In Asturias the weather is rainy and cloudy, it is cold but some days are sunny and everything changes.

I spent last week at home and I visited some places I would like to share with you.

It was a sunny Sunday last week and I went to visit a photographic exhibition in El Centro de Cultura Antiguo Instituto de Jovellanos. It was an exhibition about Jitka Hanzlova, a Czech artist who lived in Essen until the fallen of Berlin wall. The exhibition is a total of 142 images that she started in 1990 when she came back to her country after her exile in Germany. You can find there photos from her country, from her stay in Brixton (UK), horses or wonderfull landscapes composition. I am not able to choose one of them because all are wonderfull.

The exhibition was curated by Isabel Tejeda Martín and produced by Mapfre foundation.

En el Centro de Cultura Antiguo Instituo de Jovellanos hay una exposición de Jitka Hanzlova, una artista checa que residió en Essen (Alemania) hasta la caída del muro de Berlín. La muestra, comisariada por Isabel Tejera Martín, es un conjunto de 142 fotografías que Jitka comenzó a tomar en 1990 cuando regresó a su país tras el exilio en Alemania. 

Un viaje por el interior del mundo.

La muestra la produce la Fundación Mapfre.

It would be also interesting to tell you that this space was the old institute of Gijon. It was funny visiting the exhibition at the same place where my parents studied when they are teenagers.

Centro de Cultura Antiguo Instituto de Jovellanos, Gijón.

Another day I went to a performance in La Universidad Laboral. 

   La Universidad Laboral was originally an orphanage for the children of miners, but transformed during its construction into a Technical college. It was built by Luis Moya Blanco as a grand self-sufficient, utopian city. It is the biggest building in Spain and you can read more about it here: Universidad Laboral

Universidad Laboral, Gijón.

Also inside the Universidad you can find the LABoral, an Art and Industrial Creation Centre opened in 2007. LABoral was designed as a platform of resources available to designers to facilitate the development of ambitious projects in the fields of visual arts, design and architecture. 

Universidad Laboral.

All these days I have shown you some photos of the beach I took from my window that reminded me the siloutthe of Territorios. I would like to remind our Artist Debut meeting next Saturday 4th May. Please do join us to discover Territorios.

Saturday, 4th May. 12.00 - 5.00 pm

DEBUT CONTEMPORARY | 82 WESTBOURNE GROVE 

| NOTTING HILL | LONDON | W2 5RT

And for those who are impossible travel to London, you can go to Ezcurdia, 30 _ bajo (Gijon) to see a small introduction about the event.

Sábado, 4 de mayo. 13.00 - 18.00 h.

EZCURDIA, 30_Bajo. 33202, GIJÓN (ASTURIAS) 

Si estás en Gijón, acércate a Ezcurdia, 30_bajo el sábado 4 de mayo de 13.00 a 18.00 horas para ver una introducción de Territorios.