Aranjuez
2002
“Aranjuez” was created during the 2002 World Cup and filmed in a public square in Guadalajara. At first glance, the scene is festive; the scene is both of merriment and disorder, conveying a sense of celebration with a brooding underlying tension. On closer inspection, we see a woman trying to walk through the crowd. As she is jostled by exultant fans, the innocence of the action takes a dark turn transforming itself into some kind of unpleasant game.The work is set to Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, interpreted by Herb Alpert. The music is traditionally associated with Spain, which is here caricatured as a land of bullfights and bull runs, adding to the sense of disquiet. Social, physical and psychological spaces collide as the potential for violence where collective behavior is implied.