The Vice-principal of Culture and Sport of the Universitat de València, Antonio Ariño; the Autonomic Secretary of Culture and Sport, Albert Girona; and the General Director of Culture and Heritage, Carmen Amoraga, participated in the event. In addition, the intervention of the professor José Luis Villacañas was expected. He is a curator of the exhibition alongside with Miguel Corella, José Martín y Francisco Sebastián; and the director of the sample catalogue.  Finally, there will be a visit to the exhibition guided by the very same curators.

“Fidelitats a contracorrent. El món dels Martínez Guerricabeitia” is a co-production of the General Foundation of the Universitat de València and the Valencian Government. It is meant to disseminate the cultural work and the resistance of the Martínez Guerricabeitia brothers, who faced 20th century totalitarianisms. Although the official closing ceremony took place on 23 May, you can visit the exhibition until the 27.

The exhibition shows more than 200 pieces among publications, posters, paintings and even the criminal records of the brothers, José and Jesús. They denounced the violation of human rights and awaked social awareness in a country and a world tormented by ideological extremisms. They were always against the predominant ideas of the moment and preserved their critical view based on strong Utopian aspirations. 

“Fidelitats a contracorrent” examines the biography of Martínez Guerricabeitia brothers since they were children. They focus on the cultural and moral influence of their father, an autodidact. He had a library in which Marx and Kropotkin’s books did not lack.  Thus, a large collection of books and notebooks of the publisher Ruedo Ibérico, founded by José in Paris in 1961, are exhibited. The content of these works faced Francoism and arrived to Spain clandestinely.  

Other materials that can be seen are the personal archives and the correspondence that José and Jesús shared with intellectuals of the time. In addition, a film is projected showing the strips and caricatures that were published in the pages of Ruedo Ibérico and were drew by draughtsmen like Vasco, Gess, Cattolica and César.