Challenges

In Acapulco, more than a lack of spaces, the main issue resides in their functionality, whether institutional or independent. Let us take a look…

Prior to the pandemic, the Museum of the Seven Regions, one of several existing exhibition spaces in Acapulco administered by the Culture Secretariat for the State of Guerrero, held four exhibitions in just over two years in operation. The Secretariat, instead of venturing into creating new shows, has opted to recycle proposals that are hung, taken down, and rehung for very brief periods in order to plug the gaps in its program schedule. Not one of the four galleries under its management located in the Port is used to its best possible advantage. The current reality of this public institution is that it has no idea what to do with its spaces, and is a clear example of the futility of managing spaces without crucial guidelines for executing this process.

In the independent sphere, the immense efforts of artists and local arts managers to open and maintain spaces are undeniable: The question is whether all of those efforts are well directed. The spaces open with no outline of a solid work program, few activities, and little planning, but above all, with little clarity regarding ways to maintain and sustain the spaces. The low volume of activity at some of these throws doubt on the relevance of their very existence. If we consider other fields such as medicine, for example, it is not uncommon for several colleagues to share a consulting space, dividing operational and service costs equally to reduce the financial burden on the doctors or psychologists involved, and scheduling to optimize use of the space. This example is not being used to imply art managers and other creative agents should close their spaces, but to openly suggest there is a need to rethink the current subsistence and usage strategies, in favor of their viability and functionality.

Another problem facing independent spaces in the Port is the lack of attention to creating an audience. The absence of strategies to identify and promote the intended public’s participation is mirrored in the low attendance and unwillingness to pay the entrance fee for some events, and although this is a countrywide issue, it is particularly evident in Acapulco, where everyone wants everything for free.

These factors stunt the development of activity in independent spaces, as they are constantly battling to capture the minimum audience needed to carry out their functions. That the public does not want to pay for a workshop, the Institution considers is should not have to, the artist does not demand it, all reveal there has been a complete devaluation of artistic work. We must try to transform these dynamics; it is a long and hard process, but it will eventually give rise to a healthier cultural environment. To this end, and first and foremost, we must value ourselves, and value our artworks, knowledge, and skills.

Matters pending

One of the main tasks to undertake is creating memory; there is little documentation of artistic activity that has occurred in Acapulco, few articles, interviews, texts, photographs, and videos… The little information that does exist is dispersed. It needs to be organized, made sense of, conferred a narrative, and given an outlet through diverse platforms (publications, blogs, etc.). In this respect, the work carried out in recent years by ADN Cultura, or ‘Culture DNA’, has been unquestionable. However, in addition to this more in-depth research needs to be conducted, essays written, and critical and historiographical exercises done to review and analyze the Port’s artistic production.

Another pending matter is the creation of a cultural corridor, something several Acapulco artists and art managers have been working on but have yet to consolidate. The central Port was and still remains the area with the greatest concentration of cultural spaces. It is currently home to Municipal Library #22, Bar del Puerto, Pinzona 109, La Quebrada, Espacio de Arte, The San Diego Fort, the Museum of the Seven Regions, and the Domingo Soler Cultural Center, and some years ago also housed Raya y línea, Casona de Juárez, Demina, and Punto Centro. Not far away are Hotel Flamingos, Casa de los Vientos and the Fortín Álvarez. Considering the number of spaces in the area, a cultural corridor could foster a common activities program; at a most basic, background level it would allow for the start of the weaving of collaborative networks between different initiatives, a return to collective organization practices and mutual support, leaving thoughts of oneself / one’s own space behind in favor of collectivity. Thinking the public will visit and get to know my space and also that of my companions allows us to offer the public more dynamic and diverse options. Working individually and in isolation (each in their own space) has so far borne little fruit. Perhaps we should change our strategy and try others, such as collaboration and collective intelligence.

Dynamics such as these could lead to the creation of a space where points of view come face to face; where proposals are enriched through critique and dialogue; where a series of actions (assemblies?) in which agents, art managers, and spaces and initiatives in Acapulco could discuss and collectively dialogue around themes of shared problems and their possible solutions. We must cease to be islands among ourselves, like a trade, in the Port, and we must also cease to be an island in the national arts circuit. Curiously, in its golden era this city was a ‘meeting point’—everyone wanted to come to Acapulco… And even now, during its decay, it still sparks attraction. Yet in the realm of the arts, Acapulco has been somehow isolated. We must break free of that isolation and create bridges and exchanges with agents from other latitudes, bringing other states’ cultural diversity to Acapulco, and also taking Acapulco’s cultural riches to other places; import and export. Just as once we were the center for tourism, we could also be a center for the arts. From our place here in the Port, we must design better-structured training spaces, where our practices can be professionalized (production, teaching, management, curating, marketing, and sales). There have been several efforts over the space of fifteen years, both independent and institutional, offering training spaces, courses, workshops, and diplomas. However, many have lacked continuity and well-structured study programs. In that sense, it is important to stress that education should be one of the key aspects developed immediately, as it is the basis for professionalization of the abovementioned fields.