Fucking Glory or Clapping Memory

Approaching the notion of the crisis of identity through the use of emblems and mottos, Tere Recarens made a trilogy with knitted woollen scarves that incorporate the names, colours and logos of football clubs from several countries: Glory (2007), Fucking Glory (2007) and Fucking Damned Glory (2008).

In Fucking Glory, a work in the MACBA Collection, the artist stitched together different scarves with the colours and logos that identify a particular club, which she collected from the places she had visited over a two-year period. Her intention was to honour the euphoria of the crowds of enthusiastic supporters at their team’s victory. A commonplace object like a scarf serves to expose the bond of belonging that endows sports clubs and other groups with a strong and highly emotional sense of identity. As the title itself indicates, Fucking Glory refers to the notion of triumph and glory, but a glory as ephemeral and down to earth as football.