Manifesto

Since the 1970s, many of us have been involved in establishing independent creative spaces dedicated to the Visual Arts: artists, critics, curators, researchers, managers, editors. Their public activities are also numerous and diverse. These include contemporary art exhibitions; the organization of conferences, lectures, round tables, and forums for debate, thought, and reflection; the development of artist residencies, archives, editorial and educational projects, among other initiatives. Through these actions, we contribute our creativity and labor to the enjoyment and artistic and cultural growth of society. This, in turn, directly contributes to both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, ultimately producing an ecosystem that generates well-being for the public as a whole. Hence, its social function.

The contribution of the Visual Arts sector to our country’s GDP, as published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) in 2017 (the most recent year for which this study is available), shows that the cultural sector accounted for 2.4% of Spain’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), rising to 3.2% when considering all economic activities linked to intellectual property. Among cultural sectors, Books and Press stand out, representing 31.5% of total cultural activity. They are followed, in order of importance, by the Audiovisual and Multimedia sector (28.7%), which includes activities such as film, video, video games, recorded music, and television. Other sectors include Visual Arts (14.8%), Performing Arts (9.8%), and Heritage, archives, and libraries (8.6%). Within the broader set of activities linked to intellectual property, 60.9% correspond to the cultural field, while the remaining 39.1% relates to advertising and information technology, limited to activities connected to intellectual property.

These results highlight the significant weight of activities related to the Plastic and Visual Arts within the overall cultural sector. Only the Books and Press sector, and the combined sector of film, video, video games, recorded music, and television—grouped as a single category—surpass it in impact. Despite the macroeconomic importance of our sector, a parameter we consider crucial for public institutional decision-making, successive administrations have paid insufficient attention to it. This has resulted in major disparities in terms of support and funding for those of us working professionally—individually or collectively, through associations, organizations, companies, and independent spaces—in the fields of Plastic and Visual Arts.

We are aware that the relatively limited representation of the Visual Arts sector means that, within political priorities, our interests and concerns receive less attention than those of other sectors. This is even more pronounced in the case of hybrid, experimental, and independently managed organizations and spaces, despite the fact that our work often sustains and promotes practices and activities that public institutions do not address. Moreover, the independent sector has long generated networks of support and dissemination that often facilitate the internationalization of artists and enable interaction between the private and public spheres with greater agility and minimal resources. This, in turn, highlights the inefficiencies, excessive bureaucracy, and inertia of public administrations.

Beyond the lines of support that sustain large museums and public art centers, the Plastic and Visual Arts sector has, since the 1990s, undergone a systematic process of neglect and exclusion by administrations and political actors. It may be necessary to engage in self-criticism and rethink certain strategies for connecting with audiences. However, it is also true that without adequate support and engagement from institutions and administrations, it becomes more difficult for society to take an interest in this field. Therefore, we believe this is the moment to step forward and reverse this situation by implementing concrete actions that could even be incorporated into a strategic plan.

In this context, the Platform for Independent Contemporary Creation Spaces is established with the aim of giving voice to and making visible the needs and potential of independent creative spaces, in order to address, organize, and propose all kinds of informational, educational, and advocacy initiatives.

Mission

The main objectives of the platform are:

To recognize and highlight the role of these spaces within the cultural ecosystem as dynamic agents, activators, and facilitators in support of art and culture.
To improve the professional conditions of those involved in their development.
To engage in direct dialogue with public administrations, participating in sectoral committees and cultural councils with the aim of contributing to the definition of cultural policies and strategic cultural plans in our environment.
To take part in the design of specific public funding programs for the sector, including support for creation and production, as well as for the sustainability and improvement of such spaces.
To establish alliances with other national and international cultural networks, expanding the platform’s reach and impact.