Miquel Navarro, the political party. / JOSE JORDAN – THE COUNTRY

Miquel Navarro, the political party. / JOSE JORDAN

The Valencian sculptor Miquel Navarro (Mislata, 1944) is an artist with a long and proven track record. Their totemic and monumental urban works populate many Spanish cities and are part of prestigious museums. It is also a prophet in his own land. Both the Valencian Institute of Modern Art (IVAM) dedicates since September 2013 his best and most colorful room gives onto the street, his sculptures.

This decision, questionable and unusual for its permanent and for being a living artist, was adopted by the former director of the IVAM, Consuelo Ciscar, and is now the source of intense controversy rooted in the use of the museum, the independence of its management, dealing with artists and political interference. The controversy has been generated just when the museum with one of the most important collections of modern and contemporary art in Spain, tries to turn the page of a very turbulent stage by choosing three months of a new director by public competition does.

Indeed, it was the new head of the IVAM, José Miguel G. Cortés, who unleashed the events when he presented last week programming that is intended to give a more internationalist and rigorous twist to the museum. It suppresses the inherited exhibits that were not signed and permanent gallery dedicated to Miquel Navarro. The artist, who was warned hours earlier by the director of his intentions, broke and said he felt “humiliated”. Cortes replied that he respected but that “there are many more Valencian artists that deserve attention and dedication.”

Navarro announced its intention to consider bringing an action for breach of contract signed in December 2004 which provides for the acquisition by the museum two facilities artist by 555,000 and 647,000 euros and donating the IVAM of more than 500 pieces of the creator. Navarro has not accomplished its threat awaiting the results of the mediation of the Minister of Culture, José María Català, PP, which today has convened a meeting of the governing council to find an agreed solution. This involves giving in another room or even the artist from the current, according to department sources. “It’s a matter of bringing the positions and both sides are predisposed to consensus and dialogue,” he said yesterday Català.

An object of discussion is the interpretation of a clause in the contract that binds donation to these ‘works are exhibited in the headquarters of IVAM permanently once the redevelopment of the IVAM (…) are made “.

Cortés understood that the absence expansion (the project of Japanese Sanaa is parked sine die ) should not maintain permanent room. National Prize of Plastic Arts 1986, Navarro, who does not hide his friendship with Ciscar, argues that the expansion is not feasible today and why his room opened in 2013 with the approval of the governing council to fulfill the contract.

In fact, the crisis and the limited budget of the museum influenced the determination to anticipate the opening of the permanent room, which thereby no longer had to be programmed. Carrying there, as it was thought, the valuable collection of the sculptor of the avant Julio González, a treasure of IVAM, carried a high cost for their necessary role play.

The Valencian associations of visual artists and critics defended yesterday Cortés independence to make decisions, lamented the political interference and blamed the situation Ciscar. He was also very critical of the failure of the autonomy of the museum Ester Alba, professor of art history and only member of the governing council of the IVAM plays no political office, together with the architect José María Lozano, Ciscar trusted person. Other artists such as José Sanleón have been really Navarro and creators as Uiso Alemany, who has also deleted it and submit a sample demand.

The first director of the IVAM, Tomas Llorens, believes that Cortés was “little respect for one of the two or three most important Valencian artists living”, while acknowledging debatable to dedicate a permanent room.

Cortés insists that there is a question of ways been reproached him: “If anyone was upset, I have no problem apologizing. But the issue under discussion is the autonomy of the museum. ” The director said he does not enter his “idea museum’s ability to maintain permanent room as is” and said he hoped the minister’s proposals.