The motive was painted for the Label Valette Festival at the grounds of an old Chateau. After being abandoned by its owner it belonged to the Spanish State and was even used during the Spanish Civil War. First, by the Republicans who used the castle to welcome Spanish political emigrants and later, by the Francoist.
Simplified, the Spanish Civil War was a fight between Democracy and Fascism, something we face today even though it is happening using rhetoric rather than arms. Right-wing rhetoric becomes more and more popular, especially following the attack on the Bataclan theatre in Paris on the 13th November 2015. These events and what followed were the main contributors to this motive, which include the reduction of personal liberties and the beginning of a new war in the name of freedom.
Having personal data saved, emails searched for key phrases might reveal some future terrorist attacks but it comes at huge costs. After the attacks in Paris, 84 % of asked French were fine to lose some personal freedom to gain more security (Le Point).
In ‘Liberté’ a crying goddess of Liberty (inspired after the work of Eugene Delacroix) is holding up a paint brush with which she wrote LIBERTÉ (freedom) on a wall. Maybe she is afraid that the freedom the western world holds so dearly will be lost to fear. That people will opt against freedom, in order to get a (false) sense of security.
A making of video of the painting process in France can be found here.
~ Pressingy-les-Pins – France ~
