News

By Sophia Vargas

In the bustling streets of Barcelona, on April 23rd, Sant Jordi's Day took on a different hue this year, especially at the Metzineres stand. What began as a traditional day of exchanging books and roses quickly transformed into a powerful platform of resistance and sisterhood.

The legend of Sant Jordi, with its deeply ingrained patriarchal narrative, served as the starting point for a profound reflection for us. Who was Sant Jordi really? What did the dragon signify in this story? And why were flowers limited to just roses?

The answers to these questions served as a catalyst for a process of deconstructing established narratives. The Metzineres challenged the patriarchal gaze underlying the celebration of Sant Jordi and explored new forms of representation.

We replaced traditional roses with a variety of flowers representing the diversity and strength of womxn. Elderflower, jimsonweed, poppy, and other plants became symbols of empowerment and self-care, challenging the idea that only roses could represent womxn.

All these ideas were brought up in one of our collective drawing and poetry workshops led by the artist Christina Schultz, where we brought our visions of dragons and flowers to life. Each head, each tail, each body was created by a different womxn, symbolizing everyone's capacity to collectively build new realities.

It was a journey of weeks where we collectively created drawings and words that brought the dragon Vibria and the "Dragon Poem" to life, which was the protagonist of this activity. Every stroke, every detail, was a testament to the transformative power of artistic expression and collective resistance, culminating in the creation of a poster.

Sant Jordi's event was much more than a commemoration; it was an affirmation of our identities and a declaration of intent to build a world where all womxn are seen, heard, and valued in all their diversity and strength.

Photographs: Andre Gaetano, Metzineres Photographer.