Manifesto 15: no party

I am part of a sector, that of art criticism, which for decades has been, in a representative way, in each and every one of the central manifestations of contemporary art in this corner of the world: in the curatories, the artistic directions, research or artistic communication. Now, with perplexity, we are witnessing the parade of a major contemporary art event - the most important here in years - which, boosted by the injection of more than 8 million euros of public money, does not have the support active and structural of the country's art critic workers: without a doubt none relevant - there are no curators, researchers, teachers or art theorists let's say natives in the main jobs of the Manifesta staff-, and in satellite actions, of the so-called Manifesta Plus, we had to make our way as best we could.

The reason for all this was explained live by the director of the Manifesta, in an informal meeting at the beginning of the adventure. Suddenly it dawns on us that she does not believe in art curators: she prefers mediators with an indeterminate professional profile: rather than urban planners, anthropologists, educators or sociologists, as defining figures of the festival's contents. The skilled Dutch entrepreneur argued that the Manifesta was an "open, transversal, transformative" event, leaving the art curator as someone too problematic and obtuse. He seemed to me like that opinion leader who defends that politics should be represented by technicians or managers rather than people with ideals or a critical spirit (and we already know where they end up carrying similar principles).

We will have time to talk about whether or not the Manifesta has contributed to the neoliberal and speculative enterprise of the big city (case of three chimneys), but today is the time to denounce the lack of participation of the many professional art critics who has this country: which has more of it by the way, if we pay attention to the data of the AICA (International Association of Art Critics), than the land of origin of the great businesswoman of Manifesta.

Is it understandable that a major contemporary art event does not count in its structure with professionals in charge of aesthetic narrative, critical discourse, artistic selection or proximity to the artistic base of the territory where the event is hosted? Can we imagine a literature festival without editors? Without specialists who contribute all their knowledge in the matter in which the sector is called?

The Manifesto is not to blame for such nonsense. After all, for years they have been applying the same model to the different cities in the world that buy their services, and with a similar model. Here the responsibility for everything is the contracting party of the event, i.e. the ICUB. I think that Manifesta was a very good original idea: art needs to be propelled and even better if it is based on international initiatives of proven prestige. What is not acceptable is that in the signed contract the Manifesta company has not been required to have a minimum quota of work with the art professionals of our latitude, and in a structural way, in dialogue and working side by side side by side with professionals from around the world. This is not a Campanilist manifesto: but it is one thing to want to be internationalists and another to have to watch the party from the stands and applaud.

The cynicism is underscored by the fact that we are in a context of great declarations of cultural rights - from Icub, the state, the Generalitat - and those of us in the trenches working on artistic content from the grayest precariousness see like the big events in our specialty neither recognize the value of our work nor, of course, do anything to solve the root problem. It is with these principles that the great cultural events of the 21st century should be moved: festivals must contribute to solving structural problems, and the precariousness and budgetary migration of the sector is one of the central ones, which this festival has not contributed to improving either .

Over the last year, the organization of the Manifesta has held a series of meetings with art professionals who, we thought, were called to open an active and joint way of working. But as the months progressed, and we realized the lack of relational will and the results of the convocations - so poorly endowed by the way -, the rumblings among the country's critics sector has been increasing. The faces and feelings of the curators these days said it all. There was no party at Manifesta: we were invited, but very few moved their waists.