Gonzalo Borondo's 'Insurrecta' Transforms Segovia's Billboards into Open-Air Museum

The Segovia city council commissioned Gonzalo Borondo (Valladolid, 1989) to create 'Insurrecta', a public art project commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Revolt of the Comuneros (1520-21) against Charles I of Spain (Holy Roman Emperor Charles V). The installation spans 32 large-format billboards across 17 locations on the outskirts of Segovia, turning peripheral roads into an open-air museum. Borondo uses painting, photography, installation, and cyanotype technique, incorporating the surrounding landscape. The four main rebel leaders—Francisco Maldonado, Juan de Padilla, María Pacheco, and Juan Bravo—are represented as animals: two dogs, a horse with a backward rider, and a bull. The work references Goya's 'Disasters of War' and includes a Pompeian-style frieze. The project is a collaboration with Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) and runs until April 2021. Notably, the installation is limited to non-tourist areas, avoiding the historic center where the revolt partly took place.