The Spanish paper el Pais published a story yesterday on the discovery by a Spanish art historian of the use of modern art in political torture during the Spanish Civil war. Bauhaus artists Kandinsky, Klee and Itten, and surrealist filmmakers Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali, were said have inspired the creation of a series of secret cells and “psychotechnic” torture centers.
Beds were placed at a 20 degree angle, making them near-impossible to sleep on, and the floors of the 6ft by 3ft cells was scattered with bricks and other geometric blocks to prevent prisoners from walking backwards and forwards, according to the account of Laurencic’s trial. The only option left to prisoners was staring at the walls, which were curved and covered with mind-altering patterns of cubes, squares, straight lines and spirals which utilised tricks of colour, perspective and scale to cause mental confusion and distress.
Lighting effects gave the impression that the dizzying patterns on the wall were moving. A stone bench was similarly designed to send a prisoner sliding to the floor when he or she sat down, Mr Milicua said. Some cells were painted with tar so that they would warm up in the sun and produce asphyxiating heat.
Guardian UK Link, Discuss (Thanks, Simon !)