Implementation of Strategies for a Comprehensive Communication Model between Cultural Heritage, Contemporary Art and Society

An integrative and innovative communication model to enhance the knowledge, comprehension and delectation of cultural and natural heritage in one side and contemporary art practices in the other will be described. By relating this two traditionally dissociated fields, a particular form of dialogue between them occurs and it is transferred to society within an emotional and intellectual discourse. Thus, a new frame in the diffusion of the cultural legacy is generated that encourages its preservation and also sets up new research lines on site specific art work that are able to offer a contemporary vision on heritage. We consider that this close association between contemporary art and heritage powerfully enhances and activates both their own natures and the resulting dialogue providing a communicative nexus that benefits each other. This benefit produces an effective way to throw the result of both realities to society, inviting the visitor to participate in an immersive experience provided by the artwork that uses heritage as canvas, encouraging the visitor to learn more of both ancient and contemporary art. We will introduce the two editions of the Ephemeral Art Exhibition in Granada (Spain) as case study and model that can be extrapolated to other contexts. During the Ephemeral Art Exhibition a number of cultural itineraries were designed in which both cultural and natural heritage in the city were used. Being most of them emblematic Islamic heritage buildings as El Banuelo or the Alhambra and patrimonial neighbourhoods, natural heritage in the city as forests and river banks were also used by artists as well as projects involving local arts and crafts, gastronomy, folk music and dancing, oral traditions. These art work's main aim are to promote non invasive art forms that enhance cultural and conservative values and a sustainable development, social integration, interculturalism and transdisciplinarity.