THE HISTORIAN OF THE ART IN THE ERA OF INTERNET.
The historian of the art current is not, suns, that scholar of the 19th century and of XX that knows in detail all the secrets of a remarkable piece, their technique, composition, origins and developments, etc Is that, that aware everything the former, it is capable of indicating ourselves where this information can be found. It is the cartographer that it indicates us and it discovers where, when and because it was and/or is passing and where it is this information. Also the critic is from it. He binds the past for us with the present. Here there is a qualitative jump (form) and quantitative (net). Establishing an interaction and synergy among contemporary/current and past (diachronic) and with a journalistic knowledge of the environment (synchronic) with the work made by the humans.
A work of art -in lax meaning-, that of the contemporary historian is, almost we would suggest detectives.
The historians of the art who lose their meaning of being today, are those that they reported to us what (dates and nouns: patron, protectors and monarchs, etc), without the reason, the how and the when it had passed. Without correlation with the present. Without connecting it with the rest of the world. These were the comic strips of the Art of the big captain. We had a puddle of unrelated information, with jerks, breaches, discontinuity and geniuses of genius turned up because of art of magic. Fact and fact, patched up, this yes, with the corresponding ideological - political component of the historian with disposition of medium.
The historian of the art of the 21st century has lost, or it is necessary that lost, the cumbersome ballast of the all ninety-eights, the Mein Kamf, noucentismes, etc scattered for the world, which use their feeling of frustration, to project it on the companies that have sit-ins to in its State, and that they suggest to defend.
Paradoxically, o not, this feeling o/i opportunism, it was rescued and was incorporated in the bossom of the thought of marxist root of the '60 and ' 70 and it still persists in a certain said environments progressives. With their corresponding one of State and used, as a thrown weapon, against the societies that live with it.
The work of art is necessary to connect it, for best to capture it and to understand it. With datum. When in the real world, almost, everything is a continuum. They are the product of a society. The current historian has to present us the facts, with intentionality, then is making -off course- another work of art.
With the presentation of their connections. The receivers –individuals supposedly thinking- how we are- we will make the own synthesis. Contrasting what they give us. It is necessary that there exists a “hypatia” between the historian and the consumers of their products.
Sanchis Guarner, in the '70, indicated us that each generation all the story of their village had to be rethought. While he set us in a context in the occidental world. Today we rethink setting ourselves in a context globally.
The historian of the contemporary art has to be clear, that the world (the work of art) of the what one talks it is or, the Antipodes, can be being produced, simultaneously also if only we are it unaware, still. That is, the local vision, any more it does not exist. ¿ How Many turns we discover that a same research is being produced in very far places and synchronically?: Blanket times.
The current vision is glocal (global and local, simultaneously).
Renato de Fusco, the historian of the architecture in his book “Architettura come mass medium” in some passage explains us that the Florence of XV, so localist and closed how it was, would be remained all surprised in knowing on six centuries his being, still, a subject of study afterwards and that the artisans and “uffici” that so much they despised seeds, mythical artists are now from cult.
The interdisciplinary collaboration -loyal and frank- among the several activities and immersed professions in the patrimonial performance and the current one (or in the present, ¿ we do not make art and history?) it is the only successful exit that is left to us. And it is the most effective way to swallow a lot of knowledge (and at the same time to eliminate a lot of ignorance) and their application.
The grief of the historians towards the architects is totally justified and fruit of the pride that we treasure, for ignorance, the architects. However, we are not at all the only ones.
The net has put us in touch to many human beings. Where we see parallelly our dilemmas, doubts and circumstances represented in other places of the planet. Really the societies organize for cultures, languages, etc that interlace and they mix, that enriches us and that pollutes positively and mutually. We assume the position of one someone else. We listen and countergive an opinion. The result is the innovation. The surprising and random mixture of a new way.
In the second half of XX we, the Valencians, invented that of the Catalan Countries and convinced Catalonians and islanders, in an exercise of survival, for us. In the end, we were the most accustomed to disappear. Afterwards we invented the noun of region Nation Catalan. Now, with a more operating and economic sense, we are with the EURAM (Euroregion of the arc Mediterranean). This is the concept of fluency and territory (without borders) in which we frame the patrimonial finds and new proposals in the present, as a novel fruit of the present chore. Totally and paradoxically as the period of saint Vicent Ferrer, but at a very superior level and developed.
The net is grouped because of interests with languages, cultures and societies. We have marked ours, without artificial borders, not even to neglect the contacts with all the other ones. Yes the size of user net, in this case, imports, and he is that one who assures us the presence and projection of today and that of our descendants to the evolution
Albert Ferrer, in the wonderland.
Albert, great professional and better person, in this book that you have in the hands makes us the chronicle of a decade, connecting the past for us with the present. A selection makes for the Ethics, from the Morality, as rent that doing to rise the social mass. He disapproves in some cases of the persons responsible for the subaltern Administration that he believes to govern, with perseverance, with datum, dates..... He spreads, imitated facts, performances and omissions controversial, etc for Us and makes us, imitated facts, performances and omissions controversial, etc.
In spite of the little resound that believes to have. Of here the title of the book as a fleeting smoke but that is already finding its success, answer and positioning among a good thickness of citizens. And also, because not?, among some members of the Administration.
As this it is necessary to finish with a story a lot of darling that they recounted for me, in order to that each one done their selection among being governor (executor) or native of the inherited patrimony and of the nine:
They recount that an antique Spanish governor of an American province, during the golden period of the empire, wanted to compliment a relative of theirs, wanting to make him to arrive a dozen of magnificent melons, harvested in their fields. He entrusted a pair of natives who carried them from there with a letter, and he told them to him: "Not you eat any, because if he made it, the letter will see it and you will be “punished” The bearers of the melons made half of the way without obstacles; but on the 3rd day, the smell of the melons, the seven and the hunger they could more that the threat. However, clever and careful, stopping at the foot of a wall, they took the letter and covered it with stones behind him. Then, sure of not being seen they ate one each one. After, retrieving the letter they continued the way. To the following day they made the same operation. Arriving the day after to house of the relative of the governor they gave the letter and 8 melons. This, made them wait while he read the letter, so that it required immediate answer. On reading that they sent him a dozen, he asks them to him ¿ Where they are the 4 melons that are missing?. On hearing this natives ran away agitated recounting everywhere that the letters could see through walls and stones.
They did not understand what was a letter, how it worked, for what it was useful. About the use, recovery, updating, promotion and social and economical profitability (because not?) of the patrimonial inheritance the same one happens to them. Good part of the persons responsible for the Administration, Universities, Foundations, ecclesiastical Hierarchy and business community Valencian, seems me, have the same shrewdness and interpretative fineness in the face of the patrimony and the artistic fact as the protagonist natives of the story.
Josep Blesa i Morante, architecte.
Article published in the book "Fum de Botja" of Albert Ferrer Orts.