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Guernica, one of the world's most famous
paintings, was Picasso's response to the bombardment, carried
out by war planes from Nazi Germany and fascist Italy to assist
the forces of fascist general Francisco Franco during the
Spanish Civil War.
The immense cubist painting, which hangs in the Reina Sofia art
gallery in Madrid, depicts a harrowing scene in black and white
full of tormented human and animal figures.
For many Basque people, the memory of the bombing and Picasso's
visceral artistic response form part of their cultural identity.
To mark the 85th anniversary of the bombing, a group of about 40
chocolatiers from a local association called Euskal Gozogileak
have been collaborating to produce an interpretation of Guernica
made out of chocolate of different colours.
"There is this part of suffering, this part of peace. There is a
message of hope," said Lorena Gomez, the group's president. "For
us it is also very emblematic of our homeland."
The project is a technical challenge due to the vast size of the
painting, which is almost 3.5 metres high and 8 metres wide. The
chocolatiers, who have been working in an industrial kitchen in
the small town of Lezo, have tackled it by making 14 separate
chocolate slabs.
"We have had to match up different templates, colours and images
and we had our work cut out for us," said Ismael Sayalero, one
of the chocolatiers involved. "Maybe we missed a few details but
I think it turned out pretty well."
The final result will be shown in several locations, including
in the town of Guernica.
As well as partaking of an important event in the cultural
calendar, the chocolatiers wanted to draw attention to the high
level of craftsmanship their profession requires.
"Confectionery has always been the poor sister of haute
cuisine," said Gomez. "What we want is to bring the sector the
recognition it deserves, like fine dining."
(Writing by Nathan Allen, editing by Estelle Shirbon)
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