A photographic look at historical memory
The exhibition Amb endevinacions de l’amor construïa el teu rostre. Arquitectures còmplices 1939-1999 presents the research work of artist Ana Teresa Ortega, focused on the visual recovery of spaces linked to repression and control over women during Francoism and until the end of the 20th century. Through photography, Ortega documents places that witnessed the forced separation of mothers and children: women’s prisons, clinics, hospitals, nurseries, and reformatories of the Patronato de Protección a la Mujer. Many of these spaces have disappeared or been repurposed, but their structures remain material traces of a silenced history.
Three thematic axes
The project is structured around three key areas:
- Women’s prisons: jails where female inmates were separated from their children, often without the possibility of reunion.
- Clinics, hospitals, and nurseries: medical and care institutions where minors were institutionalised, in many cases under moral or social pretexts.
- Reformatories of the Patronato de Protección a la Mujer: "re-education" centres where young women were interned for reasons such as "morality" or poverty, and where family separation was a common practice.
Ortega’s photographs not only show the architecture of these places but also invite reflection on their symbolic weight and impact on collective memory.
Opening hours and access
The exhibition is open to the public in the Sala Estudi General at La Nau until 29 November 2026. Entry is free and no prior booking is required. For more details on opening hours, check the La Nau venue page.
