On view from 15 June to 7 December 2025 at the Museum Europäischer Kulturen (MEK) in Berlin, Vamos a la Playatakes a critical look at tourism under the Franco regime. Featuring works by eight artists, the exhibition explores how holidays in Spain became not a means of escape, but a tool of propaganda—unfolding through personal memories and visual narratives.
Marking the 50th anniversary of Francisco Franco’s death, the MEK exhibition questions the political function of tourism during dictatorship. Vamos a la Playa: Holidays Under Franco examines how mass tourism in Spain during the Franco era intertwined with state ideology, viewed through the lens of artists Jörg Zimmer, Ulrike Weiss, Stefanie Unruh, Annette Riemann, Tom Theunissen, Christoph Otto, Denys Blacker, and exhibition curator Monika Anselment.
© Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Museum Europäischer Kulturen / Christian Krug.
Escape or Propaganda Stage?
Following the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), Franco ruled the country with an iron fist until his death in 1975. By the late 1950s, facing an economic crisis, the regime found an unexpected solution: tourism. In a country marked by censorship, political repression, and the suppression of free expression, presenting a favorable international image was crucial. For Franco, tourism became both an economic lifeline and a political tool.
Northern European tourists, drawn to the sun, low costs, and “authentic” Spanish lifestyle, often remained unaware of the realities behind the idyllic beach scenes. While locals endured poverty and authoritarian rule, holiday resorts were transformed into showcases for the regime. Joyful vacation imagery masked the underlying violence and control.
Can a foreign tourist feel the weight of oppression in a totalitarian country? This is the central question of Vamos a la Playa, approached through personal stories, archival photos, video collages, and performances. The Berlin exhibition is a unified version of Vacances amb Franco, previously shown in two parts at the Museu de l’Empordà (Figueres) and Bòlit Contemporary Art Center (Girona) in Catalonia.
© Government of Catalonia, Carlos Collado.
As part of the MEK’s 21st European Cultural Days, the exhibition also offers a reflection on the cultural memory of Catalonia, this year’s regional focus.
Vamos a la Playa is not just an aesthetic experience—it serves as a political reminder. In an age when democracy is in retreat and authoritarian tendencies gain ground, the exhibition urges visitors to reconsider how “normalcy” is produced under oppressive regimes. A rich public program, including artist talks and academic panels, further extends the conversation.
The show reminds us that a holiday is never truly neutral; it can become the storefront of a regime—or a window into forgetting.
