Franciscan monks in a bar

Description

This work was inspired by some ceramic figures that I photographed in a restaurant in Quito and represents one of the most popular stories of old Quito: the legend of the priest Almeida. This legend is about Francisco de Almeida, a monk who lived in the 18th century in the convent of San Diego, in Quito. Despite being a religious man, the monk Almeida had a restless and rebellious spirit that led him to escape at night to enjoy the taverns and places of entertainment. To make his nocturnal escapades, Almeida used a large statue of Christ located in the convent. He climbed up the arms of the statue to leave through a high window. During one of his escapades, he heard a voice that said to him: “Until when, priest Almeida?” And the answer was the same: UNTIL WE RETURN, SIR! One morning, monk Almeida was returning to the convent, when on the way he came across a funeral that went up to the Cemetery and, curious, he asked one of the companions who the deceased was and the answer was: “It is priest Almeida” whom we are taking to be buried. Legend has it that after this episode, priest Almeida returned to the convent and decided to amend his life. He became a devout friar, dedicated to helping the poor and sick, spending the rest of his life in service to others. The message of the legend of Father Almeida revolves around the internal struggle between temptations and the call to repentance. Through the experience of the monk Almeida, the story conveys that, although a person may deviate from his values or make mistakes, there is always the possibility of reflecting and changing course. In my version, the monk Almeida meets other friends in a tavern. He is with a woman while he cheats by pulling a hidden card out of his sleeve. In the tavern everything happens: people enjoy themselves, sing, dance and argue. In the background there is a band of musicians and as decoration the coat of arms of Hamburg, beer barrels and neon lights.