was in 1964 when Jean Paul Sartre gave to the Nobel Prize for Literature to the Swedish Academy gave him despite his repeated warnings not to give him because he would reject. Dicho y hecho. El revuelo fue sonado, y las razones de su no –razones políticas, según arguyó el protagonista- muy debatidas por quienes informaron del suceso y por quienes, después, animaron sus tertulias con este desplante sin precedentes. Y es que no es fácil asumir que alguien decline el beneficio económico y el prestigio intelectual de un premio que otros muchos se afanan en merecer a toda costa, como si en ello les fuera la eternidad.
Un caso parecido, en el ámbito hispánico, es el de Gabriel García Márquez, que todavía no es Premio Cervantes y que probablemente nunca lo será por la simple razón de que no quiere serlo, y no seré yo quien ahonde en razones or who dare to judge the relevance of his resignation avant la lettre, if I may say so. This attitude has earned him many detractors, those who crave that bastard is not being very thankful when one is offering the opportunity undisputed recognition of such high caliber, a merit and many others fought shamelessly to that finally gave it either died without achieving it, poor things. Saving
hidden motives that everyone has to say yes or say no, beyond the paradoxical strategy that can hide behind a noes as media as mentioned above, I agree that the insolence of rejection seduce me vaguely, perhaps because, ultimately, constitutes an act of bravery in the face of consumer art show and face pose and parade behind the gesture. The purpose of all this, months ago I was surprised to hear that a stranger to me, Santiago Sierra, said not no more and no less than the National Arts Award, a decision that broke out in the discussion boards a barrage of opposing positions, some in favor, others against. His open letter to the minister is, in my opinion, a waste of consistency, or so it seemed at the time, but I know that the interpretations in the opposite direction did not wait between those who know better than me the trajectory of this young artist laureate. Beyond the context and the deepest truth of things, today I want to stay with his words, with the strength of its not :
"I appreciate the art professionals that I remember and assessed how have. However, in my opinion, the awards are given to who has done a service, such as an employee of the month. It is my wish to express at this time that art has given me a freedom that I am not prepared to resign. Consequently, my common sense compels me to reject the award. This award on behalf of the state manipulates the prestige of the winner. A state that cries out standing with contempt on the mandate to work for the common good regardless of which party occupies the position. A state participating in line with an insane war criminal empire. A state that happily donate money to the banking common. A state committed to the dismantling of the welfare state for the benefit of international and local minority. The state did not we all. The state is you and your friends. Therefore, I have to them, because I am a serious artist. No, sir, Global Tour. Santiago Sierra "
