Two poets from different eras and places, Joan Brossa from Barcelona in 1919 and Tatjana Gromaca from Croatia in 1972, fought for similar causes through their art. Brossa experienced the Spanish Civil War firsthand and used surrealism and dadaism in his clandestine writings to combat fascism. Gromaca also used poetry as a weapon to transmit the pain of the Yugoslavian Civil War in her country. Both artists fought as soldiers through their words to achieve peace, justice, and freedom.

1. DE FIT A FIT. LLIBRE D’ARTISTA BROSSA-GROMACA.
Tatjana Gromaca and Joan Brossa, two poets, two worlds, two
generations, two historical moments and some words to say and make
feel.
JoanBrossa, Barcelona1919; TatjanaGromaca, Croatia 1972. In two differentpointsof history,
separatedbymore than fiftyyears,twopeople are born. They, who will grow up in unrelated
atmospheres, will fight for similar causes, nearly parallel.
The Catalan’slife will be immediately influenced by the Spanish Civil War: firstly, he will have
to enroll in a levy being only seventeen years old (this levy, popularly called “la Lleva del
biberó”in Catalan,isfamous due to the low age of its members). Fortunately, a slight wound
will allowhimtorunaway fromit. This fortuitous situationwill be aninflectionpoint in his life
and since thismomenthe will start to believe in chance. Secondly, he will be forced to go to
Salamanca for four years, where he will be formed to be a soldier. After that, with the Civil
War finished andfascismimplemented,he will combatitwithall hisstrengthindifferentways:
he will surround himself with good friends with the same ideology to write clandestine
magazines,theaterplaysandabove all,tocreate combative art,usuallypoetry,which willpass
through different movements like Surrealism or Dadaism.
The poetess, till now, has kept a similar fight. Using only poetry, the strength of words like a
weapon,aswordto stab her enemies,she hastried totransmitall the pain,the losses,the evil
whichhas imbued herlandthe lastdecadesdue tothe Yugoslavian Civil War which took place
at the end of the twentieth century. Her country had been artificially created by force and
consequently, the discomfort exploded. Now they still suffer its consequences.
Two artists, soldiers united by the same enthusiasm and hope to change the things and
achieve, using words, peace, justice and freedom, someday.