A sculpture of former Spanish dictator Francisco Franco set inside a fridge has divided opinion in Spain.
The work is by Spanish artist Eugenio Merino – who sparked controversy at the fair in 2009 with a sculpture depicting British artist Damien Hirst shooting himself in the head - and is a star attraction at a major contemporary art fair which opened today in Madrid.
Merino depicts the general wearing a green uniform and dark sunglasses with his knees bent inside the fridge, which is decorated with a white and red design similar to the Coca-Cola logo. Merino said his piece “Always Franco” is meant to be a comment on how the former dictator, who ruled from the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939 until his death in 1975, continues to make headlines in Spain.
“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 said.