Instituto Cervantes de Manila offers a peak into the life of Spanish literary icon Miguel Hernández as it brings the exhibition, “Miguel Hernández, a plena luz,” in its center in Intramuros.
Ongoing since July 25 until Sept. 15, the exhibit is one of the projects done in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the death of Hernández, who hailed from Orihuela, Alicante.
In a statement, Instituto Cervantes said it aims to raise public awareness of his literary legacy, which is safeguarded by Jaén’s provincial government (the show’s organizer) through the Instituto de Estudios Giennenses.
Curated by Centro Andaluz de las Letras director Juan José Téllez, “Miguel Hernández, a plena luz” was first opened in Jaén in December 2017.
The following year, the exhibit went on an international tour, taking the poet to three continents. It has been at Instituto Cervantes branches in London, Manchester, New York, Chicago, and Dublin. After Manila, the only Asian city included in the tour, the exhibit will be heading to Toulouse and Paris.
The international tour is currently displayed at the Manila center’s library named after the poet.
Considered as one of the most authentic figures in 20th-century Spanish literature, the literary beginnings of Hernández were marked by religiosity, which was predominant during that period, and a self-taught literary education based on the classics of the Spanish Golden Age.
His book, El rayo que no cesa (1936) made him famous in the poetry circles of Madrid, where he had decided to move in order to try his luck as a poet.
The Spanish Civil War did not disrupt his literary career and in fact, during this time, he published Viento del pueblo (1937) and El hombre acecha (1938).
After the war, he was arrested and imprisoned, where he had died in subhuman conditions in 1942.
Centering on Miguel Hernández as an icon of poetry and enlightenment, the exhibition offers viewers a glimpse of his life through photos and interactive devices which display digital copies of his works and various documents.
It also showcases original pieces such as manuscripts, letters, book editions, photographs, and other personal objects, which were acquired by the Provincial Government of Jaén through the writer’s heirs.
The exhibit is open to public for free at Instituto Cervantes de Manila located in San Luis Complex, Intramuros, Manila.
