Political artefacts, aesthetics and heritage: the Valley of the Fallen

Abstract

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in International Journal of Heritage Studies on 2020, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/13527258.2019.1620834.[EN] When considering the values which define heritage, aesthetic value is usually one of the most important, nearly always linked to the idea of work of art and to concepts such as beauty or harmony. Furthermore, aesthetics and politics tend to be dealt with separately. However, the link between aesthetics and politics is key in order to manage the meaning of those artefacts made with the intention of altering the political environment (political artefacts), particularly when they could be (or when they have already become) heritage. This paper puts forward the idea that in order to fully comprehend the social effects of political artefacts, their relationship with aesthetics must be understood. The function of aesthetics in modifying the meanings and connotations of heritage, when the latter is considered to be negative from a socio-political point of view, is also examined. In order to exemplify this relationship between aesthetics and politics, the resignification of the Valley of the Fallen (Valle de los Caidos), the most iconic and important Francoist memorial in Spain, is discussed.Barros García, JM. (2020). Political artefacts, aesthetics and heritage: the Valley of the Fallen. International Journal of Heritage Studies. 26(3):253-266. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2019.1620834S253266263Alexander, J. C. (2010). Iconic Consciousness: The Material Feeling of Meaning. Thesis Eleven, 103(1), 10-25. doi:10.1177/0725513610381369Ben-Ghiat, R. 2017. “Why are so Many Fascist Monuments Still Standing in Italy?” The New Yorker, October 5. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/why-are-so-many-fascist-monuments-still-standing-in-italyBOE (Boletín Oficial del Estado). 2007. “Ley 52/2007, de 26 de diciembre, por la que se reconocen y amplían derechos y se establecen medidas en favor de quienes padecieron persecución o violencia durante la guerra civil y la dictadura.” https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-2007-22296.BOE (Boletín Oficial del Estado). 2018. “Real Decreto-ley 10/2018, de 24 de agosto, por el que se modifica la Ley 52/2007, de 26 de diciembre.” https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2018-11836Crouch, D. (2015). Affect, Heritage, Feeling. The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Heritage Research, 177-190. doi:10.1057/9781137293565_11Crumbaugh, J. (2011). AFTERLIFE AND BARE LIFE: THE VALLEY OF THE FALLEN AS A PARADIGM OF GOVERNMENT. Journal of Spanish Cultural Studies, 12(4), 419-438. doi:10.1080/14636204.2011.691670De la Fuente, E. (2013). Why Aesthetic Patterns Matter: Art and a «Qualitative» Social Theory. Journal for the Theory of Social Behaviour, 44(2), 168-185. doi:10.1111/jtsb.12036DeNora, T. (2000). Music in Everyday Life. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511489433Falasca-Zamponi, S. (1997). Fascist Spectacle. doi:10.1525/9780520926158Ferrándiz, F. (1970). Guerras sin fin: guía para descifrar el Valle de los Caídos en la España contemporánea. Política y Sociedad, 48(3). doi:10.5209/rev_poso.2011.v48.n3.36425Freedberg, D. (1989). The Power of Images. doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226259031.001.0001Fuentes Vega, A. (2017). The politics of memory, tourism and dictatorship: revisiting Franco’s Valley of the Fallen. Journal of Tourism History, 9(1), 70-91. doi:10.1080/1755182x.2017.1348545Haldrup, M., & Bœrenholdt, J. O. (2015). Heritage as Performance. The Palgrave Handbook of Contemporary Heritage Research, 52-68. doi:10.1057/9781137293565_4Hite, K. (2008). The Valley of the Fallen: Tales from the Crypt. Forum for Modern Language Studies, 44(2), 110-127. doi:10.1093/fmls/cqn001Jay, M. (1992). «The Aesthetic Ideology» as Ideology; Or, What Does It Mean to Aestheticize Politics? Cultural Critique, (21), 41. doi:10.2307/1354116Joerges, B. (1999). Do Politics Have Artefacts? Social Studies of Science, 29(3), 411-431. doi:10.1177/030631299029003004Larkin, B. (2013). The Politics and Poetics of Infrastructure. Annual Review of Anthropology, 42(1), 327-343. doi:10.1146/annurev-anthro-092412-155522Layton, R. (2003). Art and Agency: A Reassessment. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute, 9(3), 447-464. doi:10.1111/1467-9655.00158Macdonald, S. (2006). Undesirable Heritage: Fascist Material Culture and Historical Consciousness in Nuremberg. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 12(1), 9-28. doi:10.1080/13527250500384464Macdonald, S. (2006). Words in Stone? Journal of Material Culture, 11(1-2), 105-126. doi:10.1177/1359183506063015Mitchell, W. J. T. (2005). What Do Pictures Want? doi:10.7208/chicago/9780226245904.001.0001Morphy, H. (2009). Art as a Mode of Action. Journal of Material Culture, 14(1), 5-27. doi:10.1177/1359183508100006Nelson, B. J. (2010). The Persistence of Presence. doi:10.3138/9781442660298Riaño, P. H. 2019a. “Las Visitas al Valle de los Caídos Subieron un 33,5% el Año Pasado Respecto a 2017.” El País, January 3. https://elpais.com/cultura/2019/01/03/actualidad/1546533314_068761.htmlRiaño, P. H. 2019b. “El Valle de los Caídos, en el Limbo Jurídico.” El País, February 18. https://elpais.com/politica/2019/02/17/actualidad/1550416399_148038.htmlSchabert, T. (1989). Boston Politics. doi:10.1515/9783110847062Sferrazza Papa, E. C. (2018). What is a wall? Rivista di estetica, (67), 80-96. doi:10.4000/estetica.2645Smith, L. (2006). Uses of Heritage. doi:10.4324/9780203602263Thomas, N. (1995). Kiss the Baby Goodbye: «Kowhaiwhai» and Aesthetics in Aotearoa New Zealand. Critical Inquiry, 22(1), 90-121. doi:10.1086/44878