26/08/10Common Culture explores the phenomenon of the British tourism in the Region of Murcia
The artist's collective Common Culture is shooting till the 28th August in Murcia The New El
Dorado, an audiovisual work with has counted with the collaboration of local actors and
students of the Dramatic Art School of Murcia, and which will be the centerpiece of the
installation they have created for Manifesta 8.
Common culture is an artist's group which, through photography, sculpture, and video is
focused on the research of how the social identity of a collective based on the consumption
rituals is built, and how is related the more elitist and institutional art with the supposedly
more common aspects of the folk or mass culture.
The New El Dorado, which is being shooted by the British artists these days at the Espacio 0 of
the Centro Párraga (Pavilion 5 of the Antiguo Cuartel de Artilleria) consist of a series of
episodes written by themselves and interpreted by comical actors disguised as 70's characters,
at the purest Saturday Night Fever style.
With this piece, the authors will explore the phenomenon of the cultural consumption and
tourism, establishing a link between the romantic "grand tours" done by some privileged
people from the British XIX Century upper class and the "holiday's package" enjoyed nowadays
by many British citizens in our country, particularly in the Murcia Region, where the British
tourists flow has increased considerably during the last years.
We normally associate the expression "holiday's package" with a cultural exchange considered
more superficial and stereotyped. This cultural interaction between the tourists who choose
this kind of entertainment and the local population is the raw material that Common Culture
uses in its video. Its aim is to analyze aspects of the cultural identity, the tourist exploitation
and ways of entertainment in different geographical points.
The scenes which are being shooted these days in Murcia show some characters totally out of
context, out of their "natural environment" and makes reference to the British tourists who
out of their culture do not get to interact with the local population and culture of the places
they visit, as happens in some of the tourist resorts of the Murcia Region.
With this piece of video art Common Culture tries to explore its own condition of artists and of
British citizens with respect to the idiosyncrasy of the cultures and places they go on holiday.
Common Culture has exhibited in the Shangai Biennale and in the United Kingdom, Ireland,
France, Greece, United States, Portugal, and Germany Galleries. Furthermore, it has published
some books and has been awarded prizes such as The West Midland Arts Board.
The New El Dorado is a is a work curated by the Egyptian curatorial collective Alexandria
Contemporary Arts Forum (ACAF) and can be seen at the Murcia's former Oficina de Correos y
Telégrafos from October 9th 2010 till January 9th 2011.
