Ironical visions of daily life attempts to highlight the common language of humour through the eyes of two different artists?noted Indian cartoonist Mario de Miranda and one of Spain?s greatest writers Ramon Gomez de la Serna

Humour is a universal trait, and perhaps one that goes back as early as our first forefathers. Who?s to say when our ancestors, on one of their travels, crossed a narrow bridge across a river and did not laugh out heartily when one of their companions fell down into the still waters below? It?s preposterous to assume they didn?t. Let?s fast forward to a rapidly-changing world, an age where the human race has built walls of language, race and religion enclosed within their spheres of comfort. At such a juncture, maybe, it is the language of humour that can bring out that traditional wisdom, to foster an easy understanding of cultures and diverse regions.

An exhibition in the heart of New Delhi attempts to highlight this common language of humour through the eyes of two different artists?born in different countries but united by that enduring human quality. Last Saturday, this curtain was cast aside for the capital to catch a glimpse of the works of two exponents of this art?noted Indian cartoonist Mario de Miranda and one of Spain?s greatest writers Ramon Gomez de la Serna. A unique pairing as it showcases a local perspective of daily life in Spain and how a foreigner puts across his interpretation of it.

Ironical visions of daily life will give one a tour through Spain, that sun-kissed Iberian Peninsula, where matadors rub shoulders with comely flamenco dancers with the haunting strains of a guitar echoing in the distance. From the great work of Miguel Cervantes? Don Quixote to the modern day films of Bigas Luna and Pedro Almodovar, humour has always existed arm-in-arm with the high culture that seems to exist across the Spanish horizon.

Mario Miranda etches that humour in his cartoons and intricate drawings depicting daily life in Spain and its beautiful landscape. Miranda, who spent some time in Madrid, Seville and Barcelona in 2007, referred to the tour as ?one of the most exciting things in my life.? Inspired by ?a lovely country steeped in romance and history…the French countryside dotted with olives and orange trees, rich in art and history, with its museums, castles, fort and famous names?, his works have that unique Mirandaesque touch while interpreting the world around him. A certain Indianisation also creeps into the sketches with a Spanish theme?characters familiar to Indians share the same canvas with those from Spain. Here?s a sample: What does a hapless Indian man helping his wife climb up a pole in a bull ring while she is being chased by a chagrin bull tell her? ?I had warned you about wearing a red saree at a Spanish bull fight.? Here is another frame: An Indian politician, replete with the quintessential topi and white kurta, perched on a crate of soap, gives an animated speech to a bewildered bunch of Spanish onlookers.

Says Oscar Pujol, director of the Instituto Cervantes, New Delhi, ?Miranda was part of Spanish heritage. Bringing him here is acknowledging the works of an Indian artist and his vision about Spain so that Indian people realise what Miranda has done about Spain. The important thing is now people will know about Miranda and Spain. This is an extension of the firm belief that we bestow on cultural conversation.?

While Miranda?s sketches and cartoons comment on cultural assimilation, they also depict the impressions Spain leaves on an Indian tourist. His minimalistic and stark sketch of a Spanish bull perched on a hillock is just another example of how he captured an intrinsic part of Spain?s culture and tradition.To an unsuspecting Indian mind, the sketch would just represent an image of a Spanish bull, but a Spaniard would immediately make a connect with the brandy, de Jerez Veterano and the Osborne bull. A bull that has graced the Spanish roads and countryside and has become more than just a simple advertising campaign.

?Gomez de la Serna was very interested in what was happening around the world. He looked inside Spain with a knowledge from outside. He compared what was happening in Spain with other European countries , particularly France and Germany,? says Jesus C Rodriguez, cultural manager at the Instituto Cervantes. On the other hand, Miranda looked at the Spain of the modern era with the eye of an outsider. Hence, it?s easier to see G?mez de la Serna?s critical eye vis-a-vis the appreciative eye of Miranda in their works.

If Miranda puts across his message through cartoons, Ram?n G?mez de la Serna uses the medium of poetry. A culturalist, he was one of the main figures in the Spanish avant garde movement and credited for bringing surrealism into Spain. Similar to Peter Cook in England who created a club in London for budding comics to blossom in seasoned veterans, G?mez de la Serna founded the Cafe Pombo in Madrid. It has gone to become a hub for people to discuss and conduct debates on subjects ranging from politics to art to sport etc. But like any great artist, he was ignored during his lifetime.

?Octavio Paz (Mexican writer and winner of 1990 Nobel Prize for Literature) said he was one of the greatest writers in Spanish language, but unfortunately he does not feature in the list of the best. He was very active till the Spanish Civil War but when he self-exiled himself to Argentina he was almost forgotten.We want to resurrect him. We are even thinking of translating his works to Hindi, but it is very difficult because of the metaphors and the double entendres he uses in his writing,? says Pujol.

Of course a key feature of G?mez de la Serna was his invention of Spanish literary form, greguer?as?a clever use of metaphors interspersed with humour. ?This is what connects Mario Miranda with G?mez de la Serna. I?d like to say G?mez de la Serna starts with poetry and ends up in humour. But Mario Miranda is the opposite as he is a cartoonist. He first draws and then the poetry seeps in,? says Pujol.

Though both these artists belong to two different centuries, with two different point of views, this exhibition set the stage for a charming rhapsody of humour and poetry. Both managed to limn a side of Spanish life, which is both amusing and real. They painted vignettes of daily life through words and lines, which one would immediately recognise but would also make you ponder over the quirky side of a never ending existence.

Ironical Visions of Daily Life: Mario Miranda and G?mez de la Serna will be on at Instituto Cervantes till August 19 between 11 am-7 pm.