“For Freedom They Dreamed and Fought”
The city of Silves was buzzing with excitement last Saturday night. It was the public unveiling of a striking new sculpture, entitled “For Freedom They Dreamed and Fought“.
The sculpture stands as a memorial to the people from Silves who were political prisoners during Portugal’s military dictatorship (1926-1933) and fascist dictatorship (1933-1974).
The dictatorships ended in 1974 with the Carnation Revolution. The iron and composite artwork is four meters high. A massive pair of hands is spreading the bars of a prison cell, escaping tyranny into a life of freedom. One of the hands also holds a red carnation as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution.
The background is carved in the shape of the Silves Concelho (municipality), with names of political prisoners cut out in the iron. Below is an engraved stainless-steel plaque listing 287 names of those former prisoners who are memorialized.
The creation began months ago when the Silves Concelho invited artists to present proposals for a “memorial of homage to political prisoners and heroes of April 25 in the municipality of Silves”.
The design proposal of sculptor João Franck and producer Pedro Bartilotti of Ova Studio located in Faro, was approved. “We had to think about how to depict the theme of political prisoners in Silves,” said artist João Franck. “These people suffered the deprivation of their freedom because of ideological activities. The theme becomes sensitive to any human being who wants to be free.”
I cannot think of a better reason to create a monument. With today’s political climate in Europe and beyond, this work of art is a reminder about our gift of freedom. In Portugal, freedom has only been here for 50 years. Perhaps because of that, it is more precious.
Text & Photos: ERIC ROTH
