Graffiti with a tale to tell

PURCHENA intends to tell its history by turning literary references that cite the town into graffiti.

They will include Antonio Galaz, Jose Zorrilla, Gines Perez de Hita, the 19th century English writer Samuel Edward Cook, and the American composer Albert Hay Malotte. Best remembered for the score of the Disney film Ferdinand the Bull, and a setting for the Lord’s Prayer, Malotte also wrote “Fiesta in Purchena” which was inspired by Moorish games held in 1589 although he never visited the town.

Purchena town hall’s Centro de Informacion Juvenil and the Gustavo Villapalos Library are promoting the Ruta Historica (RUHI) project which was suggested by local youth associations. The initiative has received a €4,500 grant from the Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP).

Local artists Jota de Art and Mode will supervise the graffitied quotations at the town hall, the Casa del Fiscal, the nursery school, old washhouse and Plaza de España. The results will later be displayed on the website now being developed by the journalist Remedios Serrano.

Each work on the webpage will be accompanied by a QR code – readable with a smartphone – leading to links with more information and the background to each literary extract.