Heritage must be in the air this month - all of our stories address heritage issues one way or the other. Please send us your stories about culture and globalization for inclusion in our newsletter.

At the end of the newsletter you will find the updated agenda with speakers for our conference in Lucerne - it is shaping up to be a historic conference, with substantial representation from every continent.

Big Box Vs History

A Mexican hotel built in the thirties and decorated by some of Mexico's best known mural artists is slated for demolition by the American big-box store Costco. According to the Civilians' Council for the Arts of Morelos, the historic building has already been damaged since its purchase by Costco. Cultural groups across Mexico are rallying in protest, but at present the historic hotel is still set to be destroyed to make way for a supermarket.

Mexican artists and exiles from the Spanish civil war collectively created many of the murals in the hotel, which represent Mexico's history and its Spanish heritage. Famous Mexican architects Felix Candela and Jesús Marti designed some of the hotel's structures. Specialists have also identified archeological remains on the site dating back to 1,400 BC.

In June, the Director of the National Institute of Fine Arts wrote to the president of the municipality of Cuernevaca which houses the hotel, testifying that the hotel contains works of cultural and historic value and that its destruction would contravene Mexico's federal law protecting monuments. Nonetheless, the National Institute of Archeology and Anthropology denied the importance of the site, and city has issued a demolition permit.

Local and national cultural figures have rallied to the defence of the Casino de la Selva. After fruitless meetings with Costco and municipal leaders in late July, cultural figures formed a Civil Society Front for the Protection of the Casino. An impressive list of cultural representatives and organizations signed a strongly worded letter to the President of the Municipality of Cuernavaca, the Governor of the State of Morelos, and President Vicente Fox. They are demanding the immediate cancellation of the demolition permit and the redevelopment of the historic site according to the will of the citizens of Cuernavaca.

Those organizing to save the Casino will be very glad of assistance from culturally concerned groups and individuals around the world. They are particularly concerned to find some legal help within the United States itself. To find out more or to get involved, please have a look at www.reforma.com/cultural and contact (in English or Spanish) Rafael Segovia, Coordinator of the CCCAM, at artual@intertepoz.com

Precarious Occupations

The increasingly tense stand-off between communities wishing to preserve and develop their cultural assets, and corporations or governments looking to profit from development, was brought into sharp relief by the tragic death of a young artist in Brussels on Monday, July 30. Igor, a Ukrainian performer and installation artist, died when he jumped from the window of his burning building early on Monday morning. The fire was declared an arson by police.

Igor had been living at the Ilot Soleil, an unoccupied building refurbished into a performance and living space for artists. The owners of the building, who were waiting for a permit to demolish it in order to build a multi-screen cinema and shopping complex , wanted to evict the artists. But the local council and shopkeepers were on the artists' side, dreading another big commercial development, and they denied the eviction permit.

In many parts of Europe, the need for affordable rehearsal and studio space has merged with the movement to revitalise abandoned buildings in city centres. Corporations buy heritage buildings and wait for years to obtain demolition permits. In the meantime, artists and activists occupy them and open alternative cultural centres.

The squat on the Rue de Rivoli in Paris has received thousands of visitors - in fact, according to a government estimate, it is the third most visited cultural site in France, and may be officially recognized by the French government as a cultural centre. In Brussels, there are a number of artist-run occupations which host exhibits, concerts and performances and provide housing and work space for artists. In Geneva, the squat Usine is the largest alternative arts venue in the city, hosting everything from a cinema to an architecture studio.

These artists are drawing attention to the need for cities and local councils to consider what makes a city, and a culture, vibrant. While there is increasing recognition of the contribution of cultural workers to the economy, the day-to-day struggles of artists are often ignored. These artists are working to preserve both their creative freedom and the historic buildings of their cities.

For more information about occupied buildings in Europe, visit: http://www.manosolo.net/neteurs/jdn-display.php?num=157
and
http://www.usine.ch/index.html

Cultural Heritage and Globalization

The 5th Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for the Cultural Heritage, held in Portoro in April 2001, provided an opportunity to take stock of the Council's achievements in this field and look ahead to its tasks over the coming years. The Council of Europe's 2002 programme of activity in the field of cultural and natural heritage will draw on the guidelines laid down at the conference. It is based on recognition of the fact that culture and the cultural and natural heritage are both a means of asserting identity and differences in response to the dangers of uniformity inherent in globalization, and a vital factor in sustainable development for Europe as a whole. Areas of activity will include working together to establish ethical principles and common policies and standards; disseminating those principles; providing on-the-spot advice for new member states wishing to implement integrated, cross-sectoral heritage policies; and awareness-raising and training to promote intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding between the different communities. For more information, please contact Daniel Thérond at the Council of Europe, daniel.therond@coe.int or see http://culture.coe.fr/Infocentre/txt/eng/econfer5.htm.