{"id":46161,"date":"2000-01-01T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2000-01-01T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/formacionsimple.com\/revistasculturales\/archivos\/46161"},"modified":"2026-03-10T08:34:52","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T08:34:52","slug":"editorial-la-polemica-del-mes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/formacionsimple.com\/revistasculturales\/editorial-la-polemica-del-mes\/","title":{"rendered":"Editorial: La pol\u00e9mica del mes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Autor:<\/strong> Jos\u00e9 Alberto L\u00f3pez<\/p>\n

Revista:<\/strong> L\u00c1PIZ Revista Internacional de Arte n\u00ba 248<\/p>\n\n

Durante buena parte del mes de noviembre, en Espa\u00f1a, el arte contempor\u00e1neo ha acaparado la atenci\u00f3n informativa de los grandes medios y, como es habitual, no precisamente para ensalzar sus excelencias, sino, por el contrario, para utilizarlo como elemento de esc\u00e1ndalo. Nos estamos refiriendo a la rehabilitaci\u00f3n de la Sala XX del Palacio de las Naciones, sede de Naciones Unidas en Ginebra, promovida por el gobierno espa\u00f1ol y en la que ha participado el artista Miquel Barcel\u00f3 interviniendo la c\u00fapula del recinto. Noticias y art\u00edculos bajo este titular se han multiplicado y se han convertido, en una \u00e9poca de crisis econ\u00f3mica como la actual, en el gran golpe de efecto informativo al reunir t\u00f3picos tan jugosos como los que apuntan a los binomios arte-dinero <\/em> y dinero p\u00fablico-despilfarro <\/em>. <\/p>\n

Las acusaciones han nacido del partido de la oposici\u00f3n al Gobierno y de medios de comunicaci\u00f3n afines, que han aprovechado en buena medida la incapacidad gubernamental para desglosar desde un principio el coste espec\u00edfico de la intervenci\u00f3n de Barcel\u00f3 en el proyecto general de la Sala, cuyo gasto global se estima en veinte millones de euros. Poco antes de la inauguraci\u00f3n de la sala, se dieron a conocer los honorarios percibidos por Barcel\u00f3: seis millones de euros. <\/p>\n

En todo este proceso ha intervenido un organismo de car\u00e1cter instrumental: la Fundaci\u00f3n Onuart, promovida, presidida y participada en un cuarenta por ciento por el Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores, proviniendo el sesenta por ciento restante de aportaciones de otros socios privados y p\u00fablicos, y en la que el mundo del arte se ve representado por los directores de los museos del Prado y el Reina Sof\u00eda, y por los directores de Bellas Artes y de Patrimonio Nacional, adem\u00e1s de Jos\u00e9 Francisco Yvars, ex director del ivam, y la galer\u00eda Art Gaspar. Esta fundaci\u00f3n, privada y sin \u00e1nimo de lucro, se present\u00f3 a los medios de comunicaci\u00f3n a principios de septiembre de 2007 como entidad gestora del proyecto, respondiendo a una iniciativa de Juan Antonio March, nombrado embajador ante las Naciones Unidas en Ginebra tras las elecciones de 2004, gran admirador de la obra de Barcel\u00f3, y mallorqu\u00edn, como el artista. <\/p>\n

En cuanto a las reacciones del mundo del arte, no deja de sorprender el general encarnizamiento gratuito y los discursos altisonantes vac\u00edos de contenido cr\u00edtico, que repiten sin previa reflexi\u00f3n los argumentos esgrimidos en la lucha partidista, tal como aparecen esquematizados en los diarios, con sus respectivos suplementos culturales a la zaga. El mundo del arte espa\u00f1ol vuelve a dar muestras de poca autonom\u00eda de criterio al ce\u00f1irse al discurso de los verdaderos portavoces de esta pol\u00e9mica in\u00fatil sin tomarse la molestia de comprobar y procesar de forma independiente ning\u00fan dato. Es as\u00ed que asistimos a la mayor contradicci\u00f3n de los enfervorizados detractores de la ya celeb\u00e9rrima c\u00fapula, que, formando una bulliciosa jaur\u00eda, se han lanzado a intentar despedazar una obra que ni siquiera han visto… Y con ello dan la medida del sentido del arte que cultivan, cuando piensan que cuatro fotos o unos cuantos registros videogr\u00e1ficos pueden en verdad plasmar el efecto que produce una obra de grandes dimensiones en la que el espacio y los efectos cambiantes de la luz, los vol\u00famenes y el color son fundamentales. El ejercicio serio de la cr\u00edtica de arte deber\u00eda prevenirles de hablar antes de tener la oportunidad de apreciar en persona la obra. <\/p>\n

Por otra parte, en la estela de ese discurso polarizado, manipulado, de los grandes medios, estos detractores claman contra el despilfarro, aunque muchos de ellos callar\u00edan si se les invitara a un proyecto semejante como intermediarios. De hecho, no dijeron nada hasta que no estall\u00f3 la pol\u00e9mica en los grandes medios. No les interes\u00f3 en absoluto el asunto cuando se present\u00f3 el proyecto p\u00fablicamente el a\u00f1o pasado. Y olvidan, adem\u00e1s, una tradicional reivindicaci\u00f3n del mundo del arte, aquella que pretende que toda obra p\u00fablica destine parte del presupuesto a obra art\u00edstica, m\u00e1s all\u00e1 del uno por ciento reservado a cultura. <\/p>\n

Es triste pensar que si en lugar de a Barcel\u00f3 este proyecto se hubiera encargado a un decorador conocido \u2013sin duda a cambio de los mismos honorarios\u2013 el acontecimiento no hubiera despertado el m\u00ednimo inter\u00e9s en una facci\u00f3n tan hip\u00f3crita y desinformada \u2013o, peor a\u00fan, tan aplicada en desinformar\u2013 del mundillo del arte espa\u00f1ol. Qui\u00e9n sabe si hay quienes con su alharaca persiguen ganar atenci\u00f3n y erigirse en cazadores de brujas a los que ma\u00f1ana haya que pagar un tributo para mantener en silencio, una pr\u00e1ctica muy querida en este mundillo tan susceptible de confundir a advenedizos con profetas. Si no, \u00bfqu\u00e9 pretenden con su discurso fan\u00e1tico, que en definitiva solo atenta contra la presencia del arte en el mundo de las altas esferas del poder? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 vuelven sobre el est\u00f3lido argumento del \u201carte al servicio de la pol\u00edtica\u201d? \u00bfEs que acaso puede el arte subsistir fuera de la sociedad, fuera de la realidad, es decir, m\u00e1s all\u00e1 de la pol\u00edtica y del mercado? \u00bfEs que desconocen por entero la historia del arte? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 les incomoda el dinero que se ha pagado al artista espa\u00f1ol vivo m\u00e1s cotizado? \u00bfEs que les molesta no sacar tajada? \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 les estorba su elecci\u00f3n? \u00bfDesear\u00edan que no hubiera ninguna obra de arte en este proyecto ni, claro, en ning\u00fan otro promovido por el gobierno espa\u00f1ol? Este seguramente se lo pensar\u00e1 mucho la pr\u00f3xima vez antes de recurrir al conflictivo gremio art\u00edstico. Todo, gracias a esos que se quieren presentar como defensores, incluso como representantes oficiales, del mundo del arte. Pero este mundo es ancho y estrecho a la vez. Todos nos conocemos aqu\u00ed dentro. La fanfarria se ha montado, pues, de cara al foro, y el resultado puede ser una mayor sordera pol\u00edtica ante las demandas del sector art\u00edstico, representado por figuras y entidades codiciosas y desorientadas, incapaces de dialogar de forma inteligente con el poder para obtener de \u00e9l los medios que, paradojas de la vida, le aportar\u00edan mayor libertad. <\/p>\n

En fin, vayan a ver la c\u00fapula de Barcel\u00f3. Yo ya la he visto y me parece estupenda. <\/p>\n

This month’s controversy <\/strong><\/p>\n

During a good part of the month of November, contemporary art has captured the attention of the Spanish mass media. As usual, the information they carried did not exactly praise its excellencies; quite the opposite, in fact, since most have used it as an engine for scandal. The controversy focuses around the refurbishment of Hall XX in the Palace of Nations, the United Nations Head Quarters in Geneva. A project promoted by the Spanish Government with the participation of Spanish artist Miquel Barcel\u00f3, who has worked on the venue’s ceiling. The number of news items and articles leading with information about the new dome has multiplied and come in handy, in these times of financial crisis, as an effective and dramatic news item that unites topics as juicy as art vs. money and public money vs. squandering. <\/p>\n

The accusations were first voiced by the opposition and the media they hold dear, which have taken advantage of the Spanish government’s incapacity to be outright and reveal the specific cost of Barcel\u00f3’s intervention in the general project, which has an estimated total cost of twenty million Euros. Shortly before the Hall was opened, Barcel\u00f3’s fees were revealed: six million Euros. <\/p>\n

The Onuart Foundation has been instrumental to the whole process. Said organisation is promoted and presided by the Spanish Foreign Affairs Ministry which holds a forty percent share in the Foundation, with the other sixty percent shared out among private and public members. The Spanish art world is represented in the Foundation by the directors of the Prado and the Reina Sof\u00eda Museums, and by the directors of Fine Arts and National Heritage, alongside Jos\u00e9 Francisco Yvars, former ivam director, and the gallery Art Gaspar. This private, non-profit foundation was presented to the media in early September 2007 as the institution running the project, created in response to an initiative put forward by Juan Antonio March, who was appointed United Nations Ambassador in Geneva after the 2004 elections, is a great admirer of Barcel\u00f3’s art, and born in Majorca, like the artist. <\/p>\n

As regards the reactions of the art world, it comes as a surprise to see the general gratuitous viciousness and the high flown discourses lacking in critical content that simply repeat, without giving them a second thought, the arguments outlined in this partisan battle, following the guidelines drawn up by the newspapers, with their corresponding cultural supplements in tow. The Spanish art world once again reveals its lack of independence by adhering to discourses proposed by the genuine spokespersons of this useless controversy without taking the time to verify and process the data independently. Herein lays the greatest contradiction surrounding the frenzied detractors of the now famous dome, which have formed a boisterous pack and thrown themselves into attempting to rip apart a work they have not even seen… By doing so, they reveal the sense of art they cultivate if they think that three or four photos or a few video recordings can actually depict the effect produced by a large-scale work, in which space and the changing effects of light, volumes and colour are essential. The rigorous task of art criticism should stop them short and prevent them from speaking without having had the chance to appreciate the work in person. <\/p>\n

Furthermore, in the wake of this polarised, manipulated, mass media-based discourse, these detractors protest against the squandering, although many would hold their breath if they were invited to take part in a similar project as intermediaries. In fact, they did not say a word until the controversy was sparked by the mass media. They did not bat an eyelid when the project was presented publicly last year. They also seem to have forgotten a traditional aspiration of the art world: for all public institutions to devote part of their budget to art, beyond the one per cent reserved for culture. <\/p>\n

It saddens me to think that had the project been commissioned to a famous designer instead of to Barcel\u00f3 \u2013even though a designer would have unquestionably charged the same fees\u2013 the result would not have aroused the least bit of interest among such a hypocritical and misinformed faction of the Spanish art world \u2013or a faction that spends so much time misinforming. Who knows if those fuss makers are simply attention seekers that will soon emerge as witch hunters and start charging a levy for their silence?, a practice that, on the other hand, is quite frequent in a world that so easily mistakes social climbers and prophets. Otherwise, what do they expect to achieve with their fanatic discourse, apart from attacking the presence of art in the high spheres of power? Why have they unearthed the dull argument of \u201cart serving politics\u201d? Can art survive outside society, outside reality; in other words, can art exist beyond politics and the market? Are they completely unaware of art history? Why are they concerned about the money paid to the highest valued living Spanish artist? Is it because there is nothing in it for them? What is wrong with the chosen artist? Would they rather no art works had been included in this project and, obviously, in any others promoted by the Spanish government? Indeed, the Government will definitely think twice before resorting to the conflictive art sphere next time. All thanks to those who want to make a stand as defenders, or official representatives even, of the art world. However, this world is wide and narrow at once. We all know each other here. Therefore, all the pomp and ceremony has been very public and may result in even more political deafness to the demands of the art sector, represented by greedy and disoriented entities and figures, unable to converse intelligently with the elements of power to obtain the mediums which, oh irony, would provide greater freedom. <\/p>\n

In my opinion, I definitely recommend a visit to Barcel\u00f3’s dome. I have seen it, and I think it is great. <\/p>\n

Translation: Laura F. Farhall <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Autor: Jos\u00e9 Alberto L\u00f3pez Revista: L\u00c1PIZ Revista Internacional de Arte n\u00ba 248 Durante buena parte del mes de noviembre, en Espa\u00f1a, el arte contempor\u00e1neo ha acaparado la atenci\u00f3n informativa de los grandes medios y, como es habitual, no precisamente para ensalzar sus excelencias, sino, por el contrario, para utilizarlo como elemento de esc\u00e1ndalo. Nos estamos […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[444,351,400],"class_list":["post-46161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articulos","tag-arte","tag-articulo-html","tag-lapiz-revista-internacional-de-arte"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/formacionsimple.com\/revistasculturales\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/formacionsimple.com\/revistasculturales\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/formacionsimple.com\/revistasculturales\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/formacionsimple.com\/revistasculturales\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/formacionsimple.com\/revistasculturales\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46161"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/formacionsimple.com\/revistasculturales\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48386,"href":"http:\/\/formacionsimple.com\/revistasculturales\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46161\/revisions\/48386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/formacionsimple.com\/revistasculturales\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/formacionsimple.com\/revistasculturales\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/formacionsimple.com\/revistasculturales\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}