The Ministry of Democratic Memory refutes that the creation of Juan de Ávalos possesses “exceptional and notable significance.”
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, APR. (Press Europa) –
The central government, through the Government Delegation in the Canary Islands, has lodged objections with the Insular Directorate of Territorial Planning, Landscape, and Historical Heritage of the Cabildo de Tenerife against the designation of Cultural Interest (BIC) for the ‘Monument to Franco’ located at the junction of Anaga Avenue and the Rambla de Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The primary rationale provided by the National Executive is that the administrative dossier for its declaration “lacks a report that evidences the exceptional and notable character of Juan de Ávalos’ work.”
These assertions regarding significant values are necessitated by the Cultural Heritage Law of the Canary Islands for the designation of a BIC, and the objections further state that declaring a BIC for an asset that does not fulfil these criteria distorts its classification, the Ministry of Democratic Memory notes in a statement.
The government also relies on the consensus of the consulted academic institutions, which agree that there are no significant artistic elements present.
Indeed, the University of La Laguna previously concluded that, in artistic terms, the work is of “minor significance” and that Juan de Ávalos’ work is predominantly referenced in the context of the valley of the fallen, noting that the specialized literature does not attribute “any relevant contribution” to his work.
The Tenerife History and Anthropology Museum echoed similar sentiments, presenting an unfavourable report that determined “there are no artistic or architectural reasons safeguarded by law, and such grounds are not adequately elucidated in the consulted academic literature.”
The Official College of Architects, in its assessment, refrains from making artistic evaluations and suggests a resignification contest.
In this context, the Ministry of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory notes that the work itself “represents an element opposed to democratic memory,” in accordance with Article 35 of Law 20/2022, dated October 19, regarding democratic memory, and that “objectively, and in accordance with the law, an opportunity for resignification or reinterpretation of the monument is unfeasible.”
According to the Ministry, any attempt at resignification or preservation contravenes the law.
It also highlights that the Royal Canarian Academy of Fine Arts of San Miguel Arcángel does not indicate its exceptional artistic value; however, it acknowledges that its monumentality lends “artistic and aesthetic uniqueness to the city.” From the perspective of democratic memory, it has been contended that “monumentality cannot be interpreted as an intrinsic value of exceptionality.”
The sole institution that has supported the BIC declaration has been the Royal Academy of Extremadura of Letters and Arts, which does not cite any artistic exceptionalism but refers to “the quality of the work, due to its place within the sculptor’s oeuvre, and for serving as a poignant representation of a historical-artistic period,” while simultaneously stating that “it exemplifies how art functioned during those years.”
