An installation by Juanjo Palacios and Carlos Suárez about the excavation of the mass graves in Parasimón, Pajares, Asturias.
Parasimón is a sound and visual installation about the excavation of the two mass graves from the Spanish Civil War located in the area known as Parasimón, in Pajares (Lena Council, Asturias).
The graves were excavated, one in June 2018 and the other in September 2023, by the forensic anthropology team of the Aranzadi Science Society, as part of an investigative process that began in 2010. In that year, the relatives of Luis Cienfuegos – who went missing in ’37 – came across the testimony of Celesto García, a resident of Pajares who witnessed the shooting and burial of two groups of people, one of twelve, and another of ten, among whom was Luis.
Through a combination of sounds and images, Parasimón pays tribute to the lives lost, honors the memory of those who suffered in the past, and serves as a testament to the importance of remembering and confronting our history.
The installation consists of a set of speakers and projectors arranged in a dark and solemn space where the sounds of excavation, the voices of the victims’ relatives, and the whispers of nature contrast with footage of that idyllic Asturian landscape, which for decades shrouded the tragedy in oblivion and silence.
This work aims to create a space of empathy and restoration, a place where visitors immerse themselves in an emotional experience and can reflect on the importance of memory, truth, and justice in building a more peaceful future.
