Ríen los dioses

“Everything we are living is a dream, a dream about a night mare. Nothing else. And when that dream comes to an end, we will be ashes”
M.D.Villegas.

The origin of the project is based on a series of drawings that Manuel Delgado Villegas, called “el Arropiero” (1943-1998), made between 1970 and 1980 during his confinement in the psychiatric penitentiary of Carabanchel, Madrid.
The artist’s father worked as prison officer in the psychiatric penitentiary of Carabanchel from 1973 to the final closure of the center in 1985. Noticing the interest of “el Arropiero” had towards visual creation, the officer, who was also sensitive to art, began to give him, in a gradual and clandestine way, some fine arts materials. As a result of that relationship and exchange of interests, Manuel Delgado Villegas gave him as a present a notebook with 17 drawings and a piece of sculpture. These art- works have been, since then until now, in the living room of the family’s house.
Manuel Delgado Villegas’ case is a milestone in the Spanish criminological history. Documentaries, programs, interviews and extensive studies have been motivated by him and his case. However, the existence and content of the sket- chbook that serves as a base for this project, have been unpublished.
With el Arropiero’s biography as background, the project Ríen los dioses (Gods are laughing) is first and foremost an approach to the “art brut”, “marginal art” or “psychotic art”. Due to the mental conditions of their creators, these art forms are given a huge emotional load and the results come out without the order or principles that regulate the “integrated art”.
«Ríen los Dioses» is constituted by 5 large-for- mat installations based on different elements represented by M.D.Villegas in some original drawings. The project is completed with a wide range of drawings and models in a 1:10 scale. The aim of the project is also to expand the bi-dimensioal images created by M.D. Villegas towards the third dimension, willing to consider the contrast between what we all would call “reality” and the personal, subjective concept he had of his own psyche and environment, captured in his drawings. One of the images gives the title to the whole project: in it, he illustrates a strange blue watercraft in the middle of a huge sea. It is possible that M.D. Villegas had taken the title from the short story collection by Jack London, «When God Laughs». His interest for boxing may have also appeared after reading that novel, where the adventures of a failed boxer are told, and who tries to survive in a drifting boat, along with the rest of the sai- lors. The desperation makes them turn into wild beasts and forget their humanity.

For the catalog published on the occasion of the individual exhibition Ríen los dioses in the gallery Paula Alonso (Madrid,January/March 2014), the special collaboration of the writer Isaac Rosa was received.

About the exhibition written Miguel Cereceda Paula Rubio Infante: El asesino como artista -ABC Cultural. Print edition. Saturday, February 8, 2014. Art. Pg. 22- and Elena Vozmediano Paula Rubio Infante: XXY -February 7, 2014. El Cultural of El Mundo. Printed edition-.

Project awarded and partly produced by the Spanish Ministry of Culture, Education and Sports, through its program Aid for the promotion of contemporary Spanish art 2013. This entity is not responsible for the use that may be made of the information disclosed herein.