The families of Abel Azcona

There are families, such as the Medici, who revolutionized the world of art, and artists who have no family, such as Abel Azcona. The family has been and is a fundamental theme in artistic representations. It is only necessary to do a quick review of the history of painting to see all kinds, from scenes of holy families from the medieval period, to prints of families, not forgetting all the paintings where kings and aristocratic lineages are the protagonists.

The concept of family has nourished thousands of plots and arguments from various creative disciplines and, obviously, the field of performance is not exempt. And this is where Abel Azcona has taken a leap without a net at La Panera de Lleida, with My Families 1988-2024, a proposal that will hopefully be able to carry out itineraries throughout the territory, because its content stirs the bowels.

Born in Madrid in 1988 due to circumstances that would be relevant but do not fit in this article, Abel Azcona has not had an easy life. He often repeats that the greatest act of love he has received from anyone is the abortion attempts of his biological mother, a polydrug addict prostitute. Until he was adopted at the age of 7 by an ultra-Catholic family from Navarre, he lived through a hell of abuse and mistreatment, and once adopted he suffered abuse from members of the Catholic Church.

Azcona has established himself as one of the most solid performers in the territory and his proposals have long been attracting international interest, to the point that the Marina Abramovich Institute has hired him to give workshops, the Pompidou has him , and has projects around the world. Surely he is not exaggerating when he says that performance is the net that separates him from madness; perhaps that is why since the age of 16 he has been dedicated to revisiting the most difficult episodes of his life and concentrating them in his works.

Abel Azcona's work is autobiographical and performance, his channel. A combination that may be uncomfortable for certain audiences, but that in a context where algorithms enthrone normative happiness, is also cathartic. And the work of the author of La Pederastia is cathartic, yes, but also an ideological artifact that goes beyond the artistic fact.