A New Logic for the Centro Cultural São Paulo
- see original version, in Portugues in the session TENDÊNCIAS/DEBATES of the Folha de São Paulo Newspaper published in 14th of July 2010]
- see full version in English here
The Centro Cultural São Paulo is a post-modernist landmark in Brazil. The CCSP opened its doors to the public in 1982; being a remarkable piece of architecture not only due to its rich concept and design but above all because of its ambition to become a democratic and participative environment. This intention is made clear through the internal road that organises its socio-cultural dynamic.
Previously anchored to an island formed by two intense urban fluxes -the first originated in the 20th century (23 de Maio Avenue) and the other on the 19th century (Vergueiro Road), today it navigates its own space-time without losing sight of its port of origin and these differentiated fluxes; connected, in synchrony and contextualised in the plural, fluid and rough cosmopolitan dynamic that contains it. Over the last decade, its continuous management allowed the revitalisation of its physical and cultural structure. Since 2007, with the establishment of a new operational system (a new organogram), the Centro Cultural is being managed under a new logic.
The previous logic was too dependent on European cultural structures, that is, out of synch with contemporaneity, especially with regards to the increasing insertion of Brazilian culture in a globalised culture. Rigid divisions, passive cultural services, segmented artistic activities, guided by a programme based on specialisms and the traditional structure of a cultural centre, created a frozen framework and therefore a lack of perspective.
The new logic is operated through shared interdependent functions/ processes. An exhibition, a play, an audition, a concert, a talk, a web page, are all the result of group work. In order to achieve this, we have put into practice new concepts which are essential for a purposeful cultural management in synchrony and dialogue with the local and global context, amongst them: curatorship, cultural mediation, the unified management of collections, information and communication technologies, production networks.
The review of Centro Cultural São Paulo’s mission and objectives – the underlying task for remodelling its operational system – showed that its main contribution to the public sphere of art and culture since its genesis was promoting free access to culture and information. Recovering and reinvigorating this democratic spirit, in 2007 we launched a pack of cultural action programmes aimed at the development of a culture of accessibility guided by a poetic purpose of widening and potentialising sensibility, perception and knowledge.
Centro Cultural recovered its self-esteem and today it is evident that it is in fact the Cultural Centre of the City of São Paulo. As important as the Centre Pompidou for Paris, or the Tate Modern for London, this institution requires more attention. A fundamental step now would be to operate under a more autonomous management, perhaps by changing the Centro’s status to what is labelled in Brazil as ‘Social Organisation’, similar to the British NDPBs. What happens only once a year during the ‘Virada Cultural’ (an event that since 2005 attracts in average around 3.5 million people in São Paulo's city centre), with the injection of 4.5 million dollars for 24 hours of cultural consumption is a daily reality for this space which was planned during the second half of the 1970s. Do we need any more proof to demonstrate the Centro’s actuality and pertinence?
Martin Grossmann
Director
July 2006 to May 2010
- see original version, in Portugues in the session TENDÊNCIAS/DEBATES of the Folha de São Paulo Newspaper published in 14th of July 2010]
- see full version in English here
