Sebastián Endara
For those who work in culture has proved an unpleasant surprise to find in the back of improved event calendar month of the city of Cuenca, - especially for its picture-the short-sighted attempts to argue for the so-called 'city brand'. It is unfortunate that a statement is made so weak in favor of the logo that suggested the current political administration as a distinctive, legitimate, and all of the city would have been better to stop reading to sensitivity.
This entry sign has not been agreed by anybody, because nobody remembers who have been debates on the issue, and therefore lacking of legitimacy, came not from the genius of the people, but at most, in a marketer, albeit uninformed, cultural dynamics of the city and most likely of the cultural debate around the issue of popular imagination. The explanation of this sign, which critics, which is made to represent the very essence of our identity and diversity, with errors of structure. Input concepts confused: I would bet anything that no is, in any treaty of ethics, safety and value. Out of joy, solidarity and equity, who would think to put as the value of culture or modernity? And just as confused concepts, misrepresent their own details which constitute the region's cultural heritage. If you look at the chola representative of the 'city brand' is - well beyond that is not our chola-area reliable brands such as ikat skirt and are fused with a blouse, a hat, some accessories not belong to the tradition of the region. Will defend talking of hybridity, however, this reflects at least falsification, disinterest and a lack respect for tradition, built in the local government, the degree of value, which deny contradictory.
But most important of all, from defending the 'city brand' in accordance with the laws of the kind of marketing guru 'John Doe', gives us clues as to where it is pointing and where it is thinking about the imaginary identity of the city. A sign absolutely false and to say the least, pulled hair, without a real reference only to the city, as determined by forced ideation, but yes, definitely tied to try to install a trend that is being challenged worldwide by citizen movements, the aberrant commercial utopia in the era of consumerism and advertising supermarket. The 'city brand' we fully inserted into the structure of apparently not being. At this time the brand is what sells is the brand that projects the image of a city like mature product, ready to be eaten, regardless of their educational processes, historical and citizens.
But against this, against a proposed corporate identity designed by city designer outdated technocracy-not-cultural researchers, stands the proposal for the construction of popular representation, the construction of meaning and meanings of life, communication Building an alternative but to understand the complexity of the codes of recognition and perception of imaginary people. Can not neglect the cultural processes of a city that has a special basin on cultural empowerment, as you can not open streets with alternative pathways for mobilization (bicycles), which in reality serve to park cars, without losing credibility and solvency policy. We recommend to the Mayor to advise on issues of culture that is an underlying theme in the new processes of political construction.
To see the cultural agenda (particularly the section that referred to) go to the page: http://www .
