The heads of the politicians portrayed in these archival photographs have all been cropped by the artist and lined up one beside the other, creating an intriguing narrative. In this manner, the twentieth-century history of Spain is represented as a seismic line, rather than as a straightforward, linear progression.

Meana, who was born in 1982 in a democratic Spain, questions the way in which recent history is perceived in his country. The seismic movement created in Meana’s work hints at other possible interpretations of history that diverge from those represented in documents, archival images, and history books. Given the relatively recent nature of these events, he seems to suggest, additional time must pass before we can gain historical perspective on what has transpired.

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