An original exhibition of cans, gives a new life to packaging, in this case to traditional cans, and invites us to reflect on the fate of the objects we discard. Instead of becoming simple waste, these cans acquire a new purpose: to capture moments, memories, characters, stories and the essence of Zaragoza. Each one becomes a metaphor for preservation, a capsule that not only encloses its physical contents, but also fragments of our memory and our identity.
Each can houses a drawing by Jesús Marta Moreno, Zaragozadraw, and, in the same way that canning preserves food, preserving its nutrients and flavors, these containers safeguard the details and nuances of the places and characters that make up the soul of the city. The canning process, which uses techniques similar to those used in the food industry, subjects the drawings to high pressures, transforming them into more durable copies that are highlighted to emphasize certain details. Thus, each can becomes a symbol of protection and permanence, according to the Zaragoza City Hall press release.
This approach reminds us that objects that initially seem disposable can have far greater value than we imagine. Cans, which are commonly seen as ephemeral, are here elevated to guardians of memories and emotions, encapsulating immortalized moments. A small detail can transport us to a corner of Zaragoza or to a significant moment of our own past.
None of these cans have an expiration date or have undergone sanitary controls, which implies that they are “consumed” under the responsibility of those who observe them, who assume the personal interpretation of what they contain.
Each visitor to the exhibition is invited to observe each can carefully, trying to identify the place, corner or character represented, and, at the same time, to search in his or her own memory for the story or personal moment that, perhaps unknowingly, he or she also had canned.
Jesús Marta Moreno, born in Zaragoza in 1969, is a multifaceted artist who combines his work as an occupational therapist and social educator with his creative facet. He excels in the use of watercolors that explore the everyday life and environment of Zaragoza.
