26/01/2004
26/01/2004 The Santa Maria Cathedral Foundation works intensively on the architectural and cultural recovery of the Old Cathedral of Vitoria-Gasteiz. For this reason, as part of the programme of "Encounters with the Cathedral" it is organising the conference under the title "Culture and Subculture in the audiovisual Era" which will bring together in Vitoria-Gasteiz prestigious intellectuals, communicators, professors, essayists and artists.
The choice of this theme is not without reason. Cathedrals, in addition to settings of spirituality have throughout the centuries been centres of culture at the service of society, although on occasions only for the privileged few. With the passing of time and the advances in technology the mass media: television, radio and cinema, have become the main promoters of the culture of the masses.
The philosopher Gustavo Bueno; the professor of Audiovisual Communication Román Gubern; the communicators Manel Fuentes, Carlos Herrera, Boris Izaguirre and Mercedes Mila; the writers and essayists Sánchez-Drago, Juan Manuel de Prada and Antonio Altarriba; and the humorists Juan Luis Cano (Gomaespuma) and Antonio Martínez (director of "Los Guiñoles" of Canal Plus) will all meet up in Vitoria-Gasteiz to tackle these themes and others.
Aim of the conference
The conference aims to tackle the role of the cultural event in difficult
times. What is traditionally understood as culture, its basic pillars
being the search for beauty, the capacity to stimulate reflection or innovation
of language, is conditioned by the "market" concept, boosted
at the same time, by the great disseminators of mass media, especially
television and radio, the unlawful holders of what up to a short time
ago was the exclusive domain of creative talent.
Are we faced with a change in the rules of the game or do we find ourselves
confronted with a conceptual review of the word "culture"? Are
new rules of the cultural game being created? Are television and radio,
as Umberto Eco would say, " educating the masses and de-educating
the elite"? Whatever the case, taking the mass media, especially
television and radio, as disseminators, what do we call culture? Is everything
culture? And what about subculture? And the so-called "rubbish culture"?
These are only some of the question that will be dealt with in this conference.
The conference will beheld in the Palacio de Congresos Europa (European
Conference Palace) except for the inauguration and closing ceremony which
will be held in the Palace of Villa Suso. Entrance to the events is free
until all seats are taken.
ENTRANCE TO THE EVENTS IS FREE UNTIL ALL SEATS ARE TAKEN.