MNCARS/ OUTRAGE AGAINST THE SPANISH CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE
Dear friend, the reason I=E2=80=99m writing this letter is to pass on some
information which I hope you will take into account and use as you may
find convenient.
I suppose you are aware of the Macarr=C3=B3n case; since 1989 the MNCARS
(Reina Sofia National Contem****ary Art Museum) owes more than 200
million pesetas (roughly 1,200.000=E2=82=AC) to this man, a fact that
caused
his bankruptcy and the dismissal of all his workers and collaborators.
The unfortunate recent disappearance of Serra=E2=80=99s sculpture from one
=
of
his storehouses is also related to this case, Macarr=C3=B3n notified the
Museum several times to retrieve the pieces from his premises, since if
he was not paid all his possessions would be impounded. They have
recently tried to accuse him of this loss. This is a calumny.
However, Macarr=C3=B3n is not the only one affected. When in 1990-91 the
MNCARS Director was forced to submit his resignation, he did so without
returning to sign any of the pending records which resulted in the
failure to pay several suppliers and collaborators of the centre.
Amongst the affected were Domingo Sarrey and his production company
=E2=80=9CEntropia=E2=80=9D, who were owed approximately 11 million of the
o=
ld
pesetas. The only response those affected received was never to be
hired or asked to collaborate with the Museum again and to be ignored
from then on.
When MNCARS was created, Sarrey was considered the pioneer of video-art
in Europe and had carried out the first video-art exhibition ever to be
held in a European Museum, =E2=80=9CUrban Labyrinths=E2=80=9D in the MEAC
(=
Spanish
Contem****ary Art Museum). This event encouraged the MNCARS to hire
Sarrey=E2=80=99s services not only to design its audiovisual department,
ta=
pe
its exhibitions, and *****s on the incipient discipline of video-art,
but also to promise him a retrospective of his work (his first video
dates from 1968). Apart from the huge debt that so hugely affected
Sarrey as well as his company =E2=80=9CEntropia=E2=80=9D (first ever
Europe=
an
video-art company), to avoid his =E2=80=9Cuncomfortable presence=E2=80=9D
M=
NCARS
never cited him, gave information on his work, or included him in any
of its exhibitions or activities, trying to ignore his artistic history
and legacy as a video-artist.
For example, when the exhibition which is currently being held at the
MNCARS =E2=80=9CPrimera Generaci=C3=B3n: arte e imagen en movimiento
(1963-=
1986)"
(=E2=80=9CFirst Generation: art and image in movement
(1963-1986=E2=80=9D))=
was
announced, an exhibition whose first version was held in 1985 and in
which Sarrey collaborated in the design and set up, we contacted the
Museum without receiving a single response from the Director (attached
is the letter written). This occurrence is doubly unfortunate as it
does not only affect Sarrey as an artist and producer but it commits an
outrage against the Cultural and Historical Heritage of all the
Spaniards as this exhibition undermines the basic objective of the
Museum: to promote the knowledge, access to, and understanding of
Modern and Contem****ary Art in general, and Spanish art in particular.
This it does not to do by lacking in objectivity and historical
rigorous precision.
Finally, I would be more than willing to elaborate on any further
details on this subject that may be of your interest, and I attach
below the letter mailed to the MNCARS and a series of links that may be
use:
Video from the Malaga Film Festival 2006: =E2=80=9CSarrey:
Europe=E2=80=99s=
Video
Pioneer=E2=80=9D:
http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=3D-4508800895230595696&q=3Dsarrey
First video-art generated in Spain:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/VIDEOS/cuadrats.=
htm
First Net-Arts of Europe:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df
.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome
/VIDEOS/VIDEOS/netart.htm
Sarrey=E2=80=99s collaborations with other leading video-artists such as
NAN
JUNE PAIK, WOLF VOSTELL, LAURIE ANDERSON, ODEMBACH etc.:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/VIDEOS/VIDEOS/na=
cionales.htm
News broadcasts dedicated to Sarrey:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/VIDEOS/VIDEOS/te=
le.htm
Historical videos:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/VIDEOS/historico=
s1.htm
Selection of works:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/VIDEO.htm
Curriculum:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/cv.htm
Unanswered letter to MNCARS:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/Carta-Museo.doc
Web:
http://www.sarrey.com
Thank you for your attention, please do not hesitate to contact me for
any further information.
Yours sincerely,
Monica Santos Serrano
"Primera Generacion"
I find it outrageous to discover that a relevant art institution as
Reina Sofia Contem****ary Art Museum could possibly treat its national
artists in this way. Economic issues must never be prioritized over
artistic ones, and ignoring talented artists over the decades merely
not to confront old debts, not only undermines the Museum's primordial
role in sup****ting and encouraging the country's most innovative art
but also demonstrates the inconsistency of National Institutions=E2=80=99
economic agendas. It moreover can thwart the individual work of artists
who as a result struggle to survive and are forced to operate in
independent networks having been forced out of the official
establishment.
Furthermore, not including National video artists, such as Domingo
Sarrey who undoubtedly was an essential pioneer in European video art
amongst others, in such an im****tant exhibition as "Primera Generacion"
a ground-breaking exhibition in Spain again shows the Reina Sofia's
failure to promote its National artists and the country's historical
role in the area of video art, an area in which Spaniards have outstood
notably since the sixties. The Museum has acquired many of the pieces
exhibited in this show, with the idea of creating a video-art
collection, undoubtedly a very valuable asset to the Musem.
Nevertheless none of these are Spanish in origin, and as a student of
video-art, I would like to know where if not the Reina Sofia must I go
to research Spanish video-art?
I hope others will join this Campaign to denounce outrageous practices
like these in the Spanish art world.
M=C3=B3nica Santos Serrano.
monicairinasantos@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
in response:
MNCARS/ ATENTADO CONTRA EL PATRIMONIO CULTURAL
Estimada amigo, el motivo de comunicarme contigo es para pasarte una
informaci=C3=B3n que te ruego tomes en cuenta y hagas el uso de ella que
creas conveniente:
Estar=C3=A1s, supongo, bien informado del caso Macarr=C3=B3n; desde 1989
el
MNCARS
adeuda mas de 200 millones a este se=C3=B1or, hecho que ocasiono su
quiebra
y
el despido de todos sus trabajadores y colaboradores.
La lamentablemente famosa desaparici=C3=B3n de la escultura de Serra de
uno
de
sus naves de almac=C3=A9n tambi=C3=A9n tiene que ver con este caso,
Macarr=
=C3=B3n
aviso
varias veces que retiraran las obras del almac=C3=A9n ya que si no le
pagaban
le embargar=C3=ADan todos sus bienes.
Recientemente han intentado acusarle de esta perdida. Esto es una
infamia.
Pero Macarr=C3=B3n no es el =C3=BAnico afectado, cuando en 1990-91 se
forz=
=C3=B3 la
dimisi=C3=B3n del director del MNCARS, este presento su dimisi=C3=B3n sin
volver **** all=C3=AD a firmar ninguno de los expedientes pendientes este
hecho supuso varios
impagos a proveedores y colaboradores del centro, entre los afectados a
Sarrey y su productora Entrop=C3=ADa les dejaron sin pagar mas de 11
millones de pesetas de entonces. Y como =C3=BAnica respuesta no volver a
contratar los servicios de los afectados e ignorarlos absolutamente.
Cuando se crea el CARS, Sarrey estaba considerado como pionero del
videoarte en Europa y ya hab=C3=ADa realizado en el MEAC la primera
exposici=C3=B3n de videoarte llevada acabo en un museo en Europa
(Laberintos Urbanos). Hecho que animo al CARS para contratar sus
servicios tanto para dise=C3=B1ar el =C3=A1rea de
audiovisuales, rodar sus exposiciones y asesorar sobre el incipiente
videoarte amen de prometerle una gran retrospectiva de sus trabajos (su
primer videoarte lo realiz=C3=B3 en 1968).
Pues bien, aparte de la deuda que afecto tanto a Sarrey como a su
productora
Entrop=C3=ADa (primera productora de video arte de Europa), para evitar su
"molesta
presencia" nunca mas el MNCARS le cito, dio informaci=C3=B3n sobre su
obra,
o
le incluyo en ninguna de sus exposiciones o actividades, tratando de
ignorar su historial como video artista y cualquiera de sus obras o
actividades.
Como ejemplo: Al enterarme que se convocaba la exposici=C3=B3n. "Primera
Generaci=C3=B3n: arte e imagen en movimiento (1963-1986)" (muestra en la
que l=C3=B3gicamente Sarrey estaba presente en su primera convocatoria de
1985 y que colabor=C3=B3 en su dise=C3=B1o y montaje), nos pusimos en
conta=
cto
sin obtener la mas m=C3=ADnima respuesta de la directora. (Te adjunto la
carta).
Este hecho es doblemente lamentable ya que no solo le afecta como
artista
y productor sino que atenta contra el Patrimonio Hist=C3=B3rico y Cultural
de
todos los espa=C3=B1oles ya que la muestra que pretenden presentar no
***plir=C3=A1
el objetivo b=C3=A1sico de este Museo, que es promover el conocimiento,
acceso
y formaci=C3=B3n del p=C3=BAblico al arte moderno y contem****=C3=A1neo y
ca=
rece la
misma
de objetividad y rigor hist=C3=B3rico.
**** ultimo me pongo a tu disposici=C3=B3n para ampliar cualquier detalle y
te
adjunto la carta remitida al MNCARS y una serie de links que te pueden
ser
=C3=BAtiles:
V=C3=ADdeo Festival Cine M=C3=A1laga 2006 Sarrey pionero v=C3=ADdeo
creaci=
=C3=B3n en
Europa:
http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=3D-4508800895230595696&q=3Dsarrey
Primer videoarte generado en Europa:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/VIDEOS/cuadrats.=
htm
Primeros NetArt en Europa:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/VIDEOS/VIDEOS/ne=
tart.htm
Telediarios sobre Sarrey
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/VIDEOS/VIDEOS/te=
le.htm
Colaboraciones con maestros del videoarte, NAN JUNE PAIK, WOLF VOSTELL,
LAURIE ANDERSON, ODEMBACH etc.:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/VIDEOS/VIDEOS/na=
cionales.htm
V=C3=ADdeos hist=C3=B3ricos:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/VIDEOS/historico=
s1.htm
Selecci=C3=B3n trabajos:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/VIDEO.htm
Curr=C3=ADculo:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/cv.htm
Carta no contestada **** el MNCARS:
http://www.drivehq.com/file/df.aspx/publish/sarrey/wwwhome/Carta-Museo.doc
Web:=20
http://www.sarrey.com=20
Atentamente,
Marisa del Valle
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