Latest news with #Moia
Reuters
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Dictator Franco's head replica rolls on football pitch in Spanish art festival
MOIA, Spain, July 4 (Reuters) - Spanish artist Eugenio Merino and a U.S. art collective used a lifelike replica of Spanish dictator Francisco Franco's head as a football at an art festival to warn of the dangers of fascism amid the rise of the far right in Europe and the United States. The performance formed part of the Ex Abrupto festival near the town of Moia, about 60 km (37 miles) north of Barcelona, where intense fighting occurred in 1939 during the Spanish Civil War. A representative from the U.S. collective INDECLINE, who did not want to be identified, said the act aimed to remind people about the history of fascism in Europe and the risks posed by the rise of the far right in many countries in Europe and the United States. "Without addressing these issues and addressing history you don't really have a context of what you are really walking into," he said. Franco ruled Spain with an iron fist for almost four decades until his death in 1975 after his fascist forces defeated the leftist Republicans in the 1936-39 Civil War. Artist Eugenio Merino, 50, who created the rubber replica, said the game he had dubbed "Kick Franco's Head" was to mark the 50th anniversary since the dictator's death. Merino has previously used Franco's likeness as a punching bag or has displayed it in a fridge. Those works from the early 2010s led to several defamation lawsuits against him, but the courts threw them out in 2015. The short game, played by 22 performers, featured frequent shouts of "No pasaran!" – a Republican slogan meaning "they (fascists) will not pass".
France 24
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Footballers play with Franco head at Spain art festival
The "La Copa del Generalisimo" performance, subversively taking the name of a tournament played during Franco's iron grip on the country from 1939 to 1975, comes as Spain marks the 50th anniversary of his death. The experimental "Ex Abrupto" art festival pitted two teams against each other for a self-styled "anti-fascist fixture" in Moia, around 50 kilometres (31 miles) north of Barcelona. The choice of pitch was also highly symbolic, close to former trenches used by the defeated republican side in the 1936-1939 civil war that brought Franco to power after his coup. The recreated hyper-realistic head was fashioned by the Indecline group and Eugenio Merino, an artist whose work has tackled Franco and the right-wing dictatorship on several occasions. He attracted attention more than a decade ago with "Always Franco", a life-sized representation of the general in a refrigerator that sparked an uproar at Madrid's ARCO art festival in 2012. Merino courted controversy again with "Punching Franco", a work that used the dictator's head as a punching ball. The Francisco Franco Foundation, which works to promote the late dictator's legacy, lodged complaints against both works that were rejected by the courts. Merino used the same mould for the resin and silicone-covered head which was the protagonist of Thursday's match. "It's the 50th anniversary of Franco's death and I thought it was necessary to commemorate" it, Merino told local radio RAC 1. "We recover that idea of the people that plays and enjoys, and we also recover the idea of anti-fascism." The game, which only allowed limited spectator numbers, was recorded for broadcast on Friday and Saturday in a bar in Moia, while the head can be visited in a local museum. Merino and Indecline had already teamed up to send political messages, using the recreated head of Donald Trump to play football at the wall on the US-Mexico border and one of Brazil's rightist former president Jair Bolsonaro.
The Verge
17-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Verge
Check out the robotaxi version of Volkswagen's ID Buzz.
VW subsidiary Moia announced today the series production version of the fully autonomous ID Buzz minivans that will comprise the company's robotaxi fleet in Los Angeles in 2026. If you've ever ridden in a Waymo, you'll recognize a few familiar designs, like 'start/stop' buttons, an external keypad for entry, and plenty of cameras inside and out the vehicle. I also noticed a bunch of smart choices, like luggage carriers in place of a front passenger seat and linoleum flooring for the passenger who inevitably spills their full Starbucks drink (or vomits, I guess).
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First Post
30-04-2025
- Automotive
- First Post
Americans can soon have driverless SUVs, Texas testing goes next level
Critics of self-driving technology say it remains vulnerable to cyberthreats, a lack of oversight and can lead to job reductions read more A revolution is underway in the USA's commercial driverless operations. For a change, Aurora Innovation, an autonomous trucking company, is planning to run its completely driverless semi-truck along a 200-mile stretch of I-45 between Dallas and Houston. So far, these companies have been testing their driverless technologies with backup safety drivers but this time, Aurora is going a step further. If the test remains successful, it can reshape the global trucking industry forever, and especially in the US where there is a shortage of skilled drivers. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Pittsburgh-based company has not shared much details about the project but it is expected to start rolling autonomous and driverless trucks slowly. It hopes to expand its fleet later, based on feedback and experiences. Volkswagen's big plans for autonomous vehicles German auto giant Volkswagen has also been working on self-driving technology for over a decade. Now, the company is set to launch its first driverless cars on Uber's ride service. This will begin with a robot taxi service for the public in Los Angeles in 2026. These vehicles will be electric minivans called VW ID Buzz. They will have special sensors and computer programs made by a part of VW called Moia that allow them to drive themselves. The longer version of the Buzz has space for at least seven people, so VW wants to get the most out of its ride service. The company plans to eventually have 'thousands' of these self-driving vehicles working in several cities across the US within the next ten years. VW will start trying out this service later in 2025. During this testing phase, there will still be human safety drivers in the cars. 'Volkswagen is not just a car manufacturer—we are shaping the future of mobility, and our collaboration with Uber accelerates that vision,' said Christian Senger, CEO of Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility, in a statement. 'What really sets us apart is our ability to combine the best of both worlds — high-volume manufacturing expertise with cutting-edge technology and a deep understanding of urban mobility needs.' Concerns Critics of self-driving technology say it remains vulnerable to cyberthreats, a lack of oversight and can lead to job reductions. 'It's absurd that AVs, which are unproven and unmanned, are given more latitude on American highways than professional drivers with years of experience like me are given,' Lewie Pugh, the group's executive vice president, said in an interview. Critics say while autonomous driving companies are self-regulated, drivers are subjected to several federal rules which make them more reliable. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, advocates say the driverless technology will help the industry, which remains strained by high driver turnover rates, supply chain inefficiencies and rising costs. 'The federal government is saying we have to move 50% more freight by 2050, but there's a shortage of drivers. How do I solve this puzzle with more freight to move and less drivers to do it?' said Jeff Farrah, CEO of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association.
