Currency #221 "Tirititraun arriquitraun" Spanish Song Artwork

This sculptural painting by Natasha Lelenco, created on a wooden circle with a thickness of two centimeters and a diameter of 26 centimeters, is one of the most recent works from the Currency Exchange series. In this case, the piece, rendered in vibrant blue tones, portrays the profile portrait of surrealist face surrounded by the phrase "Tirititraun, Arriquitraun" The phrase inscribed on the coin refers to a charming anecdote of linguistic confusion: Between the 18th and 19th centuries, following Spain's last attempt to reclaim the Rock of Gibraltar in the 18th century, Gibraltar experienced an especially peaceful and prosperous period, during which the civilian population increased considerably. Among the popular folklore of the time, it seems that a song became popular among the Gibraltarians with lyrics that went, "There is a town, town, town down in the south, south, south… and it will be soon, soon a richer town, town, town…". The people of Cádiz adopted the lyrics with a certain humorous twist, turning it into a playful and charming interpretation that emptied it of its original meaning, making it even more popular than the original: "tirititraun traun traun, arriquitraun traun traun".. Conceptually, the artwork is part of a project in which the artist, drawing from her own experience, explores the theme of foreignness and the sense of 'not being from here.' Furthermore, it connects with the experiences of others who have undergone the challenges of migration.