The new edition of The Illustrated Company It's already underway in the province of Huesca and is once again transforming the libraries and streets of Alto Aragón into a grand showcase of illustration and reading. With the motto “Book Mysteries”The project reinforces the idea that culture can reach every corner of the territory, including the smallest villages.
Driven by the Provincial Council of Huesca (DPH)This cultural program has become a regular fixture on the calendars of many towns and villages over the years. Now in its sixth edition, it maintains its objective of bringing contemporary illustration to rural areas and, at the same time, continuing to foster a love of reading among diverse audiences.
A sixth edition marked by the “Book Mysteries”
In 2026, La Compañía Ilustrada focuses its proposal on the universe of mystery understood in a broad senseNot only as a detective or mystery genre, but also as something unknown, unsettling, or difficult to explain in everyday life. Based on this idea, a selection of ten works from world literature has been chosen to serve as a starting point for the graphic creation.
The program officially starts in fonz, where the inauguration was held with the presence of the mayor María Clusa, the provincial deputy for Culture, Carlos Sampériz, and the director and commissioner of the project, Grassa Toro / Carlos Grasa (according to various sources). From this town in the Cinca Medio region, a route begins that, throughout the year, will reach 40 municipalities throughout Alto Aragón.
The Provincial Council of Huesca (DPH) wanted this new edition to maintain the itinerant nature that has defined La Compañía Ilustrada since its inception. This translates into a network of exhibitions that stops in regions such as Cinca Medio, Bajo Cinca, Somontano, Sobrarbe, La Litera or La Hoya de Huescadrawing a true cultural map of the province. The director of the series himself highlights this "great map" as one of the defining characteristics of the project.
According to the organization's calculations, The program attracts around 200.000 visitors each year. between exhibitions, workshops, and related activities. Given its accumulated experience, it is estimated that by 2026, more than one million people will have participated in La Compañía Ilustrada in one way or another since its inception.
Outdoor exhibitions, libraries and everyday spaces
One of the most striking features of The Illustrated Company It's the way their exhibitions are integrated into the daily life of each municipality. In Fonz, for example, the twenty large-format illustrationsPrinted on tarpaulins, they have been deployed at various points in the town center and in buildings commonly used by the population.
The chosen locations include Carpi House (Plaza Mayor, No. 3), the steps of the parish church in the square itself, the Alba Palace On Codera Street, the Town Hall, the medical center, the old washhouse on Codera Street, the side of the sports field on Cerbuna Street, the L'Urmo space on Barbastro Street, the La Candeleta Rural School on Avenida de las Sierras, and the nursery school on Zaragoza Street. In this way, the exhibition blends with the urban fabric and with spaces that residents use daily.
The mayor of Fonz has emphasized the interest that had existed for some time in the municipality for embracing the proposal in this format of outdoor banners, which had not previously been implemented there in this way. The town's historical and artistic setting, with its remarkable architectural heritage, is considered a perfect ally to enhance the visual impact of the artworks.
Beyond the street exhibition, the project relies on the municipal libraries as nerve centers of activity. In the case of Fonz, the Public Library serves as a meeting place for reading clubs, Adult Education programs, and other cultural initiatives, which are further strengthened by the arrival of La Compañía Ilustrada (The Illustrated Company). This continuous use makes the library an “active” space for the neighborhood, as the mayor herself points out.
The exhibitions are not limited to banners: they are also distributed in the participating locations postcards with the illustrationsThe books on which the images are based are made available to the public, and informational materials are prepared to accompany the visit. The aim is for the experience to go beyond simply viewing a work of art in the street and become a gateway to reading.
Ten books, ten illustrated looks at the mystery
The heart of this edition lies in the selection of ten very varied titlesThese stories range from detective fiction and classic horror to investigative journalism, science fiction, and contemporary narrative. Each book has been assigned to an illustrator who has created two images specifically for this project, totaling twenty illustrations.
Among the selected works are the detective novel “The Saint-Fiacre Case” (also cited as Saint-Fiarce) by Georges Simenon, the fantastic and disturbing tale “The Horla” by Guy de Maupassant, the philosophical science fiction of "Solaris" by Stanislaw Lem or the famous “Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus” by Mary Shelley. In the realm of classic mystery, there also appear “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson and "The Canterville Ghost" by Oscar Wilde.
The selection is completed with two non-fiction research very different from each other: “The Disappearance of Majorana” by Leonardo Sciascia, who investigates the enigma of the Italian physicist Ettore Majorana, and “Liliana’s Invincible Summer” Cristina Rivera Garza's recent work addresses, from an intimate and political perspective, the femicide of her sister. Alongside these, the contemporary novel is also included. "Forge" by Ali Smith and the classic thriller “The Drop of Blood” by Emilia Pardo Bazán.
The artists tasked with creating a visual dialogue with these texts are ten established creators, described by the organization as “deans of the Enlightenment” who all reside in Spain. The payroll includes Juan Berrio (The Saint-Fiacre case), Yeyei Gómez (The drop of blood), Javier Olivares (The strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), Lluïsot (Frankenstein), Helena Sbeghen (Solaris), Marc Torrent (The Horla), Candela Sierra (The disappearance of Majorana), Alberto Aragón (The Canterville Ghost), Maria Montes (Forge) and Mayte Alvarado (Liliana's Invincible Summer).
The Aragonese representation is by the illustrator from Huesca. Alberto AragónWith a career linked to media outlets such as Heraldo de Aragón, El País, Público, and The Washington Post, as well as leading publishers like Planeta and Penguin Random House. Alongside him are prominent names in Spanish comics such as Lluïsot, pioneer of “underground” comics, or Javier Olivares, National Comic Award 2015, in addition to Candela Sierra, which won the same award in 2025.
A program that is also experienced through workshops and meetings
In addition to the exhibition circuit, La Compañía Ilustrada is strongly committed to the participatory activitiesThis edition has been scheduled 20 creative workshops, ten by the designer from Huesca Eva Naval, known for the Carita Bonita brand, and ten others led by the illustrator and graphic designer Isidro Ferrer, National Design Award (2002) and National Illustration Award (2006).
Eva Naval's workshop, under the title “Mysteries in a Can”The workshop invites participants to create short visual narratives using everyday objects, playing with composition and the meaning of the things that surround us. The idea is that each participant can "encapsulate" their own mystery in the form of a collage or simple graphic work, without needing any prior illustration experience.
For his part, Isidro Ferrer directs the workshop “Illustrating the invisible”This workshop is geared towards exploring what is not immediately visible in a closed book: what is imagined, what is intuited, or what remains outside the text. Through techniques such as collage, cutting, and pad printing, participants are invited to experiment with forms, textures, and visual metaphors that give form to the hidden.
According to the project director, these training spaces also aim to to identify and encourage the talent that already exists in the regionsDesigners, illustrators, or people interested in graphic design who live in rural areas and who may need a boost or a suitable environment to advance their work. The workshops thus become one of the most anticipated events in each town.
The program concludes with the professional meeting “This is how we illustrate”The event, scheduled for October 8, 9, and 10 in Huesca, will bring together illustrators, designers, reading mediators, and other industry professionals to share presentations, participate in specialized workshops, and engage in open discussions. More than a typical conference, the organizers envision it as a meeting point and forum for dialogue focused on illustration and books.
A unique landmark in Spain with a rural vocation
Throughout its various editions, La Compañía Ilustrada has established itself as a unique project in the Spanish cultural landscapeThe program's commissioner points out that, although attempts have been made to replicate the experience in other autonomous communities, for now it is only being held in the province of Huesca, where it has found a favorable context thanks to the work of librarians, technical staff and provincial administration.
The Culture Deputy, Carlos Sampériz, insists on the role of the Public libraries as the cultural heart of communitiesIn her speech during the inauguration in Fonz, she pointed out that it would be difficult to understand life in many municipalities without these spaces and the daily work of those who manage them. The Compañía Ilustrada reinforces this perception by transforming libraries into starting points for exhibitions, workshops, and meetings.
The program also aims to democratizing effectThe aim is to bring high-quality contemporary cultural offerings, both artistic and literary, to rural areas. The Provincial Council of Huesca (DPH) emphasizes its pride in the "people who create and bring their work" to these villages, making it possible for residents to access activities that would otherwise be concentrated in large cities.
In this sense, collaboration with educational centers, art schools, and other institutions is key. Huesca School of Art For example, it has participated in the printing of this year's program, strengthening the links between artistic training and cultural projects at the provincial level. The initiative thus operates in a field where creation, reading promotion, and networking converge.
The feeling that is repeated in the different towns that the Illustrated Company passes through is that Culture is not an isolated gesturebut rather something that's part of everyday life. Fonz, who was already familiar with the program from previous editions, now sees how the proposal is gaining visibility thanks to the banners and the urban display. Other municipalities along the route will be joining in the coming months, with exhibitions adapted to their own public spaces.
With a combination of large banners in squares and on building facades, books available in libraries, postcards to take home, workshops that encourage creativity, and a professional meeting that connects those who work in the sector, The Illustrated Company reinforces its position as a leading cultural project in Huesca“Book Mysteries” not only brings the mystery genre closer to the public, but also uses this common thread to open questions, awaken curiosity and remind us that, also in the towns and regions of Alto Aragón, there is room for contemporary illustration and for a shared and lively reading experience.
