Last Sunday, the artist Vanessa Alice published on her social networks her "artistic manifestation" on the facade of a house located in the municipality of Teguise. Under the slogan, "Lanzarote, I'm in love with you", she spread on social networks the execution of her artistic work on one of the island's heritage elements. Perhaps, she was unaware that she was painting her work on the facade of an 18th-century building. Immediately afterwards, the controversy arose.
Firstly, beyond disagreeing with her actions and attitudes, I would like to condemn abusive and disqualifying comments made by some people on the artist's social networks. You can express your discomfort by resorting to arguments, always with respect and education in the forms.
However, painting on an 18th-century building, one of the few symbols that remain of Lanzarote's vernacular architecture, affects our heritage and historical values. Personally, I am not going to assess whether her intervention is an artistic manifestation or not. It is something subjective. However, I do believe that there should be certain limits, which begin to be built from respect and consideration for other artistic, cultural or any other kind of manifestations.
It seems that Vanessa has already apologized. However, I have always been taught that apologies are made without excuses. Avoiding responsibility, referring to the island's heritage status, seems to me to be a disrespectful attitude. Its poor condition does not give you the right to paint on the wall of a private house, even less when you are unaware of the historical and heritage value it represents.
She has already returned to its original state the piece of facade that she used as a canvas to express herself. Although the messages and hints towards the population of Lanzarote still continue. I would have liked that in her last publication, far from despising the island society, she had made self-criticism and invited to care for and protect the natural and cultural values of the island. However, "it makes her more willing to paint in places where people know how to enjoy and value it", as she says.
Qualifying our society as "redneck and ignorant" for not respecting her intervention, is nothing more than an absolute contempt for our intelligence. Surely she is unaware that there is a continuous struggle for the protection of our heritage, cultural, historical, artistic and natural values, after an uncontrolled tourist development. She does not know what it has cost this society to get ahead with ingenuity and sweat. She does not know the historical value that those "ruins" have as a legacy of a time when techniques and materials were used that may be unique. Perhaps, she knows nothing of what this island people had to do to tame the elements, fight against the wind, the lack of water... She knows nothing, but she calls us rednecks and ignorant.
Perhaps, she even ignores the interventions of César Manrique whose works were a real revolution on the island. Manrique knew how to see the beauty in the unique. His interventions were executed seeking symbiosis with the environment or bringing modernity, through his work, the heritage elements of the vernacular architecture of the island.
I want to make an invitation to reflection. On many occasions, I have the feeling that we lack knowledge and sensitivity about the obligation we have in the conservation of the historical and cultural legacy of the island for the enjoyment of present and future generations. Being the owner of a property with values to protect is a great responsibility. The Cabildo of Lanzarote, through its Heritage area, is not responsible for fixing private properties. There are state laws and regulations, even in the constitution there is talk of the conservation of heritage, we have a Canarian law of cultural heritage, municipal ordinances... frameworks that determine the responsibilities. Likewise, there are ways to subsidize, help or subsidize those who want to rehabilitate and restore their properties with values. What is failing then?
I demand more forcefulness from the institutions. Beyond arranging a timely meeting with the artist, what proposals will the current president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote have to improve the situation, what policies will he carry out to guarantee the adequate protection of the historical heritage with cultural and artistic values of the island. What economic, technical and human resources will be allocated for this.
Without a doubt, Vanessa Alice's attitude was disrespectful, haughty and arrogant. Unfortunately, it is something that is becoming common on the island of Lanzarote in recent times, as a result of uncontrolled mass tourism. We have been putting up with this type of actions that endanger the idiosyncrasy of the island for months. There is a lack of education, pedagogy and awareness of our history, which is unforgivable.
Like it or not, the island society has changed and will continue to change. Our society is increasingly diverse, and therefore, it is necessary to establish mechanisms to protect, care for and value our identity elements. In short, take care of what makes us unique.
Mencey Rodríguez de León
