2011-2012:Texts

In 2002 we began organizing the Madrid Abierto project. The first international edition took place in 2003, and the initial artistic interventions began in 2004. During these ten years, this public art program has produced sixty five art interventions. In its six editions other activities have taken place, such as sound and audiovisual pieces, debate sessions, presentations and workshops. All the document material that is contained in the Matadero 2011archive is available to be publicly consulted, after a previous appointment request, and is partially available in www.madridabierto.com.

Previously, we had published Madrid Abierto2004-2008 and now, with this new publication, we are closing the ring. Here you may find the 2009-2010 edition; the first one to be carried out in two years, due to changes which have been introduced by Madrid Abierto’s advisory commission after analyzing the career and results of the project. After creating the above mentioned archive we produced a document oriented exhibit in the Matadero workshop, which includes the works of, Santiago Sierra, Dan Perjovschi, Laurence Bonvin, Simon Grennan + Christopher Sperandio, Wolfgang Weileder and Raimond Chaves, among others. As well, presentations and debate sessions have taken place with Fernando Llanos, Iñaki Larrimbe, Democracia, Susanne Bosch, Raquel Pelta and Aitor Méndez. All of this material is to be found in this publication.

The current economic crisis and the drastic cuts that are being imposed are specially affecting the realm of culture. Already in 2009, Madrid Abierto lost its sponsor, Fundación Altadis, due to a change in ownership, and the contributions from public institutions have dwindled in the last two years, thus, intensifying the lack of means with the successive delays in the payment of different subsidies. In these circumstances we are confronting a change of cycle which, based on the finished work and the archive we have created, is intended to be a temporary stop in an ongoing process, but might signify an abrupt end, if the necessary conditions in order to continue are not given.

Many people have participated and collaborated in the project, as this publication shows, but I would like to specifically thank two of them on behalf of Madrid Abierto: Rosina Gómez-Baeza y Alberto Sanjuanbenito.

Jorge Díez.