Spanish cinema has just had its best year ever with record attendance and box office earnings. So what can go wrong? With films like Spanish Affair and El Niño generating millions at the box office and delighting Spanish filmgoers, it is hard to believe that anything can be wrong. But to some people in the film world, all of this success hasn't translated into recognition or invitations and nominations to the most important film festivals or major film awards. (The last Spanish film to be nominated for an Oscar was The Sea Inside, which also won the award in 2004) According to some, it appears that in the industry's attempt to raise flagging attendance, they have sacrificed some of the elements that captures the attention of serious film lovers and critics.

The only film to achieve some sort of success among film cognoscente in 2014 has been La Isla Mínima or Marshland as it is called outside of Spain. Is the only movie to have been received into the European film festival circuit of Venice, Berlin, and Cannes. Of course there is San Sebastian also, but since this is a homegrown festival there is always ample Spanish presence, in fact Spanish-Franco film Magical Girl won the Golden Shell award. But why is it that Spanish movies have such a hard time breaking through the selection process to the major festivals?

Looking back, the last Spanish film to appear in the official selection of Berlin was Dictado or Childish Games by Antonio Chavarrías. In Venice, Alex de la Iglesia's 2010 Balada Triste de Trompeta (The Last Circus) was the last Spanish film to appear there. Almodóvar's 2011 film La Piel Que Habito (The Skin I Live In) appeared in Cannes and since then no other Spanish film has been part of the official selection there. There have been some Spanish co-productions present like last year's Relatos Salvajes (Wild Tales) or No Llores, Vuela (Aloft) but these were films partially financed from Spain but didn't count on a large participation in the cast or crew.

Independent film producer, Álvaro Longoria from Morena films (Che), believes that the Spanish industry's attempt to capture more audience together with the growing participation of Spanish television networks bankrolling major films are having a negative effect on independent film production. Movies like El Niño highlight this trend with its slick eye-candy cinematography, similar in look to Michael Mann's Heat, is becoming more and more common.

With Spanish television networks becoming increasingly more important in financing films, their objectives are very different from traditional producers. Maximizing audiences on the big screen and later reaping profits on the small, the order of the day for the networks is making Hollywood blockbuster-like movies and if it's not pulse thumping action then simple, yet entertaining stories will suffice. Taking a look at the types of movies that dominated the box office in 2014 as our reference, it appears as though 2015 will continue with this trend.

Longoria believes that Spanish language productions from Spain will have a more difficult time finding space in more important film festivals and independent Spanish movies will be made in other languages, like English, in an effort to get the funding necessary to film and subsequent box office. Right now in Spain according to certain people in the industry is that there are two types of movies being produced here: very commercial or very small scale independent productions.

But what's the problem if Spanish films are breaking records? For most films, the Spanish market is a small part of their overall income and for many, finding distribution in other countries is the key for the financial success of most films. For many, Film festivals are the ideal place for films to find distribution—especially if a film is among the 20-30 films in the official selection. Even if a movie makes it to a film festival that alone doesn't guarantee it distribution in other countries. Since there are over 300 films on the program of a large festival; if a film is not part of the official selection it will be very hard to get noticed.

While Spanish film is living a golden moment it is important to note the difficulty some producers and directors  are having in getting their works filmed and hopefully a balance will be reached in guaranteeing the continuance of Spanish independent film—in Spanish.    

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_aef68c1c-4974-4dda-bae9-36e08521bd7f

Versión española abajo

The search continues to solve the case of the missing Golden Age literary genius Miguel Cervantes. Didn’t know he was missing?

Some four centuries ago, the Spanish author penned one of the most celebrated novels in history: the masterfully crafted, even hilarious tale of a windmill chasing, would-be knight’s absurd adventures around 17^th century Spain.

Today however, the exact final resting place of the author of Don Quixote de la Mancha remains a mystery. A determined team of researchers is now searching for the classic wordsmith’s remains in the cloistered Trinitarias convent in Madrid’s historical literature district known as el Barrio de las letras.  

If they find him, they could uncover curious clues about how he died and what he looked like (no reliable portrait of him exists). Almudena Garcia Rubio, who headed the projected, told the British journal The Guardian back in 2011 that while it’s believed that the writer spent his last years suffering from serious illness “that is also when he was very productive as an author”. Last October, when Spanish Radio and Television Corp reported that the Archbishop of Madrid had approved the investigation in the historic convent, it also quoted project historian Fernando de Prados who admitted that the road to finding Cervantes was “more complicated” than expected.

Besides producing some of the greatest writing of all time, Cervantes also fought in the Battle of Lepanto, where he received 3 harquebus blasts; two to the chest and one to the arm which caused permanent damage to his right hand, earning him the nickname “el manco de Lepanto” (the one-armed man of Lepanto). These distinctive wounds and lead bullet remains should help the team of bone hunters with their task of identifying “the prince of wits”. They also know that he was 68 when he died in 1616 and that he had 6 teeth.

At the end of last month the team dug up a series of caskets including one with the initials M.C. carved into the wood. Although the find seemed promising, forensic analysis determined that it did not contain Cervantes’ remains. It seems that the tomb belongs to a person much younger than 68. Curiously, none of the other tombs found were marked with initials. While the researchers remain optimistic, the search is taking longer than originally expected and they are starting to run out places to keep looking in the small convent.

In a time when a sluggish economy means a tight budget for things like public education, many observers are wondering why the city of Madrid has chosen to help fund the €50,000 project, particularly since it may end up yielding no results. The value of the expensive search to find the writer’s bones remains a little unclear, kind of like Don Quixote’s own windmill-chasing quest for glory. Even if the team does end up discovering the bones, will they be of much cultural importance? Do we really need to know what he looked like?

Just what to do with the writer’s 400 year old remains if found is another controversy. Today’s top figures in Spanish literature weighed in on the topic in a recent El Pais article. Writer Antonio Orejudo jokingly suggested reconstructing the cadaver and placing it in the Plaza de España as a tourist attraction, going on to say that paying homage to writers involves “explaining their work, showing it to kids, reading it […] everything else is show business”. Writer Andrés Trapiello said “may they end this madness and leave him how he was, without pilgrimages to Lourdes”.  

No matter what comes out of the controversial search, readers can continue to enjoy Cervantes’ inspired works.

Noticias sobre la búsqueda de Cervantes

Continúa la búsqueda para resolver el caso del desaparecido genio literario del Siglo de Oro Miguel de Cervantes. ¿No sabía que se estaba perdido?

Hace unos cuatro siglos el autor español escribió una de las novelas más célebres de la historia con una maestría artesanal, donde encontramos el hilarante episodio de la lucha contra los molinos de viento, que hace las delicias de los amantes de las aventuras absurdas de este caballero del siglo XVII en España.

Hoy, sin embargo, el lugar exacto del descanso final del autor de Don Quijote de la Mancha sigue siendo un misterio. Un resuelto equipo de investigadores está buscando los restos del forjador del español clásico en el convento de clausura de las Trinitarias que se encuentra en el distrito histórico de Madrid conocido como Barrio de las letras.

Si lo encuentran, podrían descubrir pistas curiosas acerca de cómo murió y de su aspecto físico (existe ningún retrato fiable de él). Almudena García Rubio, que encabeza el proyecto, dijo a la revista británica The Guardian en 2011 que, si bien se cree que el escritor pasó sus últimos años sufriendo de una enfermedad grave "que es también el periodo en el que fue más productivo como autor". Historiador proyecto En octubre pasado, cuando la corporación Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE) informó que el arzobispo de Madrid había aprobado la investigación en el histórico convento, también citó a Fernando de Prados, que admitió que el camino de la búsqueda de Cervantes era "más complicado" de lo esperado.

Además de crear algunas de las más grandes obras literarias de todos los tiempos, Cervantes también luchó en la batalla de Lepanto, donde recibió tres disparos de arcabuz: dos en el pecho y uno en el brazo, que le causó un daño permanente en la mano derecha, lo que le valió el sobrenombre de "el manco de Lepanto". Estas heridas características y los restos de bala de plomo deben ayudar al equipo de cazadores de huesos en su tarea de identificar "al príncipe de los ingenios". También saben que tenía 68 años cuando murió en 1616 y que le quedaban solo seis dientes.

A finales del mes pasado el equipo desenterró una serie de ataúdes, entre los que había uno con las iniciales MC talladas en la madera. Aunque el hallazgo parecía prometedor, el análisis forense determinó que no contenía los restos de Cervantes. Parece que la tumba pertenecía a una persona mucho menor de 68 años. Curiosamente, ninguna de las otras tumbas encontradas estaban marcadas con iniciales. Si bien los investigadores siguen siendo optimistas, la búsqueda está tardando más de lo esperado originalmente y están empezando a quedarse sin lugares para seguir buscando en el pequeño convento.

En un momento en que una economía ralentizada significa un presupuesto ajustado para cosas como la educación pública, muchos observadores se preguntan por qué la ciudad de Madrid ha elegido ayudar a financiar el proyecto con 50.000 euros, en particular, ya que puede acabar no produciendo ningún resultado. El valor de la costosa búsqueda de los huesos del escritor sigue siendo un poco confuso, un poco como la búsqueda de la gloria del propio Don Quijote persiguiendo los molinos de viento. Incluso si el equipo termina descubriendo los huesos, ¿van a ser de mucha importancia cultural? ¿Realmente necesitamos saber qué aspecto tenía?

También lo que hacer con los restos del escritor, si se encuentran, es otra controversia. Las figuras más representativas de hoy en la literatura española sopesaron el tema en un reciente artículo aparecido en el diario El País. El escritor Antonio Orejudo sugirió, en broma, la reconstrucción del cadáver y colocarlo en la Plaza de España como una atracción turística, y continuó diciendo que rendir homenaje a los escritores implica "explicar su trabajo, mostrarlo a los niños, leerlos [...] todo lo demás es negocio y espectáculo". El escritor Andrés Trapiello afirmó que "pueden poner fin a esta locura y dejarlo como estaba, sin peregrinaciones a Lourdes".

Salga lo que salga de la controvertida búsqueda, los lectores pueden seguir disfrutando de las inspiradas obras de Cervantes.

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_506d689c-742e-4280-9fdc-bf7a719d31bc

Just talking about Spain’s capital city of Madrid conjures images of a rich variety of emblematic monuments and attractions. We also recognize it as a cosmopolitan city brimming with cultural, political, and economic energy.

Madrid however has not always been the wonderful city it is today. Urban development did not begin to thrive in the city until King Felipe II established it as the capital and placed the royal court here in 1561. Madrid’s inspired architectural heritage can be observed all around the city center, which is known as El Madrid de los Austrias since the Austrian Habsburg monarchs were responsible for transforming and modernizing the city.

As the home of the royal court the city’s demographics changed dramatically: when Madrid was first established as the capital it had just 10,000 residents, a figure that grew to 40,000 in just 15 years. By the end of the century the population was up to an impressive 100,000 people.

Let’s explore this downtown area, taking a special peek at some of the buildings and architectural ensembles that best capture its Habsburg period.

One of the city’s most symbolic and most visited attractions is the Plaza Mayor (main square). It has always been, and it still is, a meeting point for local residents. 237 balconies have overlooked the square for centuries, from which observers have witnessed bull fights, popular performances and acts of the inquisition. Noteworthy among the square’s establishments are the Casa de la Panadería (House of the bakery) and the Casa de la Carnicería (House of the Butcher Shop), both of which house different municipal institutions today. A statue of King Philip III on horseback occupies the center of the plaza. You can exit the square through any of its nine entryways, including the Arco de Cuchilleros, which leads us to the Cava de San Miguel, the location of some the area’s most traditional and popular taverns.

If we continue on this road we will reach the Palacio de Santa Cruz, the old city jail which currently houses the Department of Foreign Affairs (in the Plaza de de la Provincia). The 17^th century San Isidro Church is further along Calle Toledo, which has served as Madrid’s provisional cathedral since 1993.

Close by, in Cava Baja, we find ourselves near one of the city’s most worthy monuments: a restaurant called Botín, considered by the Guinness Book of World’s Records to be the oldest restaurant in the world. Botín has been pleasing picky palates since 1725.

After checking out San Miguel Market we arrive to Plaza de la Villa. This square is the location of historical buildings such as the Casa de la Villa, which was Madrid’s City Hall building until just a few years ago.

We make our way back to Calle Mayor then head along Calle Bailén toward the Plaza de Oriente, an enormous space that traditionally hosted grand celebrations during Franco’s dictatorship. The space is back dropped by the Palacio Real (royal palace), an impressive structure for its size and magnificence. Wandering around the gardens of Sabatini next to the palace we can see the Plaza de Isabel II and the hexagon shaped Teatro Real (Royal Theatre).  Following the crowded Calle Arenal, we end up at the Puerta del Sol for photo ops of a few of Madrid’s most recognizable spots: below the clock tower that Spaniards around the country tune in to watch on New Year’s Eve, in front of the kilometer zero mark (Spain’s road network was based on this point), or next to the statue that displays the symbol of the city, a bear and an Arbutus tree.

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_3623d6c1-ab26-4f2a-9033-ff0efc14d339

Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes or simply "Goya" (1746-1828) is one of Spain's most famous and recognized artists. His mastery of art allowed him to bridge the romantic with the modern; considered the last of the Old Masters, he was able to change his style with the times in a way that few other artists have been able to accomplish. Today, the National Arts Club in New York is showing one of his seminal works, the Los Caprichos (Caprices) series of prints in its entirety.  Subversive and critical, Goya was never afraid to air his opinion through his art and deftly aired his feelings through his work—even as court painter—and with Los Caprichos we can see how he pushed the limits (and buttons) of Spanish society in an era of instability and unrest.

Goya was a skilled at expressing criticism through his art subtly employing details and references offering the viewer the possibility to choose between different interpretations. This skill is best demonstrated in his portrait Charles IV of Spain and His Family  (1801). Goya uses Velazquez's immortal "Las Meninas" as his model but in this painting there is a claustrophobic feeling as we see Goya smothered, in the background, by the royal family. Goya pulls no punches in dressing the family in extravagant clothing and, most notably, places the queen in the center of the image since it was believed that she was the real power behind the throne.

One aspect of his work that is lesser known (along with his work in tapestries) is what he accomplished in etched works. There are two series of prints which are the most well known: Los Caprichos (1797-1799) and the Disastres de la Guerra (1810-1820). In the Disasters of War, a series of 82 prints, Goya protests against the violence of the Peninsular War; he even illustrates the reverses of the liberal cause in Spain due to the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. Incredibly, this was accomplished while still exercising his role as court painter producing many memorable portraits during this time.

Los Caprichos

His other series, which is now on display at the National Arts Club in New York City, Los Caprichos  or "Caprices" is a damning view of what he considered to be the follies of Spanish society. The idea for this project originated in the 1780s thanks to his relationship with some of Spain's most important Enlightenment influenced intellectuals of the day like Fernández de Moratín y Juan Agustín Ceán Bermúdez. As part of this group Goya was able to share is ideas with other like minded thinkers on subjects that were driving Spanish society like religious fanaticism, the prevalence of superstitions and the continued use of the Inquisition as method of control.

With the coronation of Carlos IV in 1788 and the French Revolution on the other side of the Pyrenees, Spain became a more intolerant place and Goya would not begin his etchings due to tension of the time and the sensitive nature of his material. During this time many of his friends, like Gaspar Melchor de Jovellanos, were exiled and others imprisoned. Because of these happenings, Goya withdrew to the Court not willing to take a chance to stand out too much.

In 1793, is is believed that Goya suffered a stroke while travelling to Seville and his physical condition suffered greatly as a result. Now deaf, he also had problems walking and maintaining his balance. Having come close to death and now suffering the physical effects of his illness, Goya's life and work would forever be changed. He became more in touch with himself and more determined than ever to point out the wrongs of society as a way of creating change.

His experiments with aquatinted etchings produced the 80 illustrations known as Los Caprichos: 80 bitter, dark and critical images that take on Spanish society—this series would also foreshadow the style and tone of his Black Paintings at the end of his career. The illustrations do not follow any particular order but there they do appear to go from theme to theme. The first part of the Los Caprichos is dedicated to erotic satire while the second part criticizes the social conventions of the day. The second half of the Los Caprichos is also the most expressive and haunting.

It is in the second half that we begin to see Goya's extravagant  and sometimes grotesque allusions to the inequalities of Spanish society. In one print, #42 Tú que no puedes (You Who Cannot Do It), shows two farmers  each carrying donkey on their back. The title of this print comes from a popular saying that goes: Tú que no puedes, lleváme a cuestas (You who cannot do it, carry me on your shoulders) which is used with someone asks for help from someone in the same situation or worse. This print is an allegory of how the peasant population must carry the burden of supporting the Spanish nobility (the two donkeys) and clearly illustrates the inherent unfairness of society. In the latter part of Caprichos, known as Brujerías (witchcraft) or Sueños (dreams), we see the full force of Goya's imagination and vision. From his romantic beginnings, Goya shows us a new and grotesque conception of his art. Using these illustrations he gives form to his repulsion of the evil that he perceives in the world employing monsters, deformed fairies and tormented faces.

Goya began to sell this series in Madrid on February 6, 1799 in a perfume shop since traditional book stores and galleries didn't want to have anything to do with this controversial work. Their worries would soon be shared by Goya himself due to threats of having to go before the Spanish Inquisition. After only 14 days of being on sale, he withdrew his book of prints only selling 27 of the 300 copies printed. Goya, now fearing for his well being, sought a way out of his predicament.

As an artist moving between the worlds of the Enlightenment and the nobility, his artistic freedom had reached its limits with the threat of having to go before the inquisition hanging over his head. As a way of saving his work (and himself) he sought the help of his patron, King Carlos IV to who Goya offered to turn over all of the unsold copies and plates. Amazingly, in exchange for this, Goya was still able to negotiate a lifetime pension for his son, Javier. Since then, there have been limited editions printed with last one done during the Republican period in 1937 for a total of 20 editions since their original publication in 1799.

The Caprichos exhibited today in New York is a copy that was donated to the National Arts Club in 1994 by an heir of artist Robert Henri. This copy is a ninth edition that was printed between 1908 and 1912. The last time the the complete Caprichos series was seen in New York was in a 1994 exhibition held by the MOMA. To see the Caprichos you will need to hurry since this exhibit will only last for the month of January—a wonderful opportunity save yourself a trip to the Prado Museum in Spain to view the complete series. Los Caprichos is open to the public at the National Arts Club in the exhibition "Francisco de Goya y Lucientes: Los Caprichos" until January 31 and, best of all, admission is free.   

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_80b5f7d9-de7a-4fab-aa39-30a182b40f06

The rooftops of buildings in Spain, as elsewhere, are generally not used for much beyond accommodating satellite dishes and laundry lines. But in urban areas where attractive event space gets spendy and space itself is limited, some groups and communities have begun to rethink the usefulness of rooftops, particularly in the warm southern Andalusia region, where outdoor activity season extends much longer than in the north.

Enter Redetejas, a non-profit group on a mission to convert unused, forgotten rooftop spaces into exciting venues for cultural events. The group’s work has inspired Spanish urbanites in Córdoba, Seville, and Huelva to head upstairs and participate in everything from musical performances to magic shows and yoga demonstrations, all under the stars or under the clouds.

The company bills itself as the first citizen’s network of micro-spaces on private rooftops. The website goes on to explain that the rooftop project is licensed under Creative Commons, in other words anyone can copy, modify and improve Redetejas as long as they respect copyright rules. Any group wishing to participate is free to do so and they don’t have to pay anything, they just have to follow the project manuals.

Becoming a participant is pretty straightforward and you can do it as a guest, an event organizer, a host, or as an artist. The idea is that hosts offer the rooftop of their building to organizers who invite guests to enjoy artists’ performances. 

The manual points out that activities must be cultural in nature, and that it is legal to hold rooftop events although you must respect the neighbors and established limits in terms of noise, capacity, and safety. If you organize an event, you have to let neighbors know what you’re doing in advance and provide them with details including the times you’re planning on beginning and ending the function. The manual also reminds organizers that Redetejas is a non-profit group but they can charge guests a voluntary door fee to cover the expenses of their event.

Raise the Roof

Some observers voice concerns over the safety of crowds of event-goers pouring onto rooftops in places where buildings are commonly pretty old. Others wonder if noise from evening events will bother neighbors, even if they are warned in advance. A yoga demo for example might not be a problem, and light jazz might not be too annoying if you’re a neighbor, unless you hate jazz, and you’re trying to sleep. But what about an intimate rooftop heavy metal concert? A mini head bangers’ ball in full swing on your own rooftop or the next door neighbor’s would certainly affect your evening. What about professional wrestling; is that “cultural in nature”. I don’t see how you could prove that it’s not. Of course I’m just speaking hypothetical here, I doubt a rooftop American style smackdown event has been proposed, but it all leaves neighbors wondering if their sleep habits will be compromised.

The rules also recommend that events don’t go later than midnight. That seems kind of late, especially if you live next door. The rules go on to mention that participants don’t have to follow the recommendations to the letter.

Despite the concerns, it’s hard not to encourage the project, which has communities gathering together to collectively gain cultural insight. According to the group, 90% of people polled would like to use their rooftops but weren’t doing so.

The events sound like a lot of fun, and a great (and economic) way for study abroad students in Spain to gain first hand insight into an exciting variety of cultural activities. The rooftop venues are often smaller and more intimate than traditional spaces, meaning they could be great places to make new friends and to practice your Spanish.

Remember, if you want to get involved you can find more information at Redetejas.org.

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_bef1cc77-be90-4016-b1ff-eceedc7d981a

I had no idea how popular video games were until I heard about gamers becoming celebrities by posting videos of themselves on youtube talking about the games they play. Personalities like El Rubius have inexplicably amassed millions of fans around the world. The number of viewers anxiously tuning in everyday to watch Minecraft players talking about Minecraft is mind blowing.

The questions on museum director’s minds is how to compete for young people’s attention in a fast-paced world where observing visual creations has little to do anymore with wandering around stuffy silent galleries full of motionless paintings and much to do about intense often violent graphic action coupled with homey comforts like a soft comfy couch. How long would a museum exhibit hold the interest of most avid Minecraft players?

If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em

The Thyssen Museum has joined forces with Sony Computer Entertainment España to create Nubla, a videogame for the Playstation that seeks to blend influential masterworks by the likes of Edward Hopper and Ludwig Meidner with entertaining gaming technology (an institution that you may or not consider masterful art in itself). Players will get to virtually journey into the scenery of paintings.  

The director of the project, Daniel Sánchez Mateos is quoted in El Pais as saying “we’ve tried to transfer the museum’s works and artistic style to a dreamy world of adventures”. Artists for the game also admitted that the biggest challenge was rendering faithful imagery of the museum’s masterworks without copying them.

It seems more than unlikely that El Rubius’ 9 million plus army of gaming-fanatic channel-subscribers will promptly dump their crafting materials to play a game about a museum of paintings, no matter how dreamy it is. But the Thyssen’s new video game may offer a revealing peak at the direction of art enjoyment. Is the old school museum format getting old? Some wonder if new generations now need art technologically modified in hyped up videogame format to accommodate an unhealthy codependence on sedentary screen interaction. Is it fair to ask if the Thyssen is enabling videogame junkies? Do our shrinking attention spans have any space left for fine arts exhibits?

Does the bold move to go for gamers spell inevitable permadeath mode for the future of museums? Or is the Thyssen addressing a realistic need to update its attitude on what it considers art. The kernels of the debate seem rooted in the question of whether or not we can consider videogames legitimate pieces of art.

Video Game Art?

Are video games art? Is playing them a cultural experience in any way? Traditionally, art museums have paid little attention to them. But video games seem to have become an elephant in the room who’s not going away, and the Thyssen isn’t the only museum that’s decided to come to terms with him, to talk to him.

The MOMA in New York has a permanent gaming exhibit that currently features 14 games, which according to moma.org are “astounding examples of interaction design”. Games on display include Pac Man and Donkey Kong. A blog post by the museum’s Senior Curator Paola Antonelli answers the question of whether video games are art by stating “they sure are…” MOMA hopes to acquire 40 games in total over the following few years, where selection criteria for the games includes, among other things, “the elegance of their code”.

The exhibit did not impress at least one critic writing for the British newspaper “The Guardian” who responded with a piece entitled Sorry MOMA, Games Are Not Art. Later, the paper ran a counter opinion calling the whole argument a fool’s errand and a debate “that shouldn’t be”.

Beyond the question of whether video games are art, or perhaps part of it, lies the consideration of their usefulness or even harmfulness. Film critic Roger Ebert once pointed out that “for most gamers, video games represent a loss of those precious hours we have available to make ourselves more cultured, civilized and empathetic”. The Thyssen Museum’s Nubla video game symbolizes an attempt to untangle the two sides, or even a colorful and technological bridge over a growing generation gap. The question remains as to how many people will cross it and more importantly, just how extreme our future generation’s dependency on technology will become in a world that’s already looking to gaming systems to appreciate art.

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_843f7e4e-69cf-45a3-9878-999e6083126a

Versión española abajo

2014 Word of the Year

The word of the year selected by the Fundación del Español Urgente is one that doesn't even exist in the dictionary of the Royal Academy, the keeper of the Spanish language flame, and you may be surprised at which word it is. Curiously this word was first used by an inebriated Australian in 2002 and in its literal translation in Spanish is autorretrato or autofoto. But in Spain it is more common to see selfie or selfi.

The word selfi has beaten other words like dron (drone) or nomofobia (fear of being without your smartphone) which have become commonly heard words this past year. More traditional words like abdicar (to abdicate) or impago (default) have also been heard more reflecting current events and the economic reality felt my many people today in Spain. Also interesting to note, the word selfie was selected as the Word of Year in 2013 by the Oxford Dictionary after this word experienced a 17,000% increase in use among English speakers.

It is important to note that the Spanish Royal Academy knowingly left out the word selfi (or one of its other variations) from the latest edition of the DRAE that was released this year. Surprisingly, other words like amigovio (something comparable to being in the  friend zone), papichulo (mac daddy in my 80s slang) and pícher (baseball pitcher) have been included. But selfie has been excluded since it didn't meet the criteria of the Academy as a word that has proven itself to be one that will stand the test of time (as though papichulo will?).

This foundation which supported by the Fundación BBVA, has as its mission to promote proper usage of Spanish in the media while striving to be flexible and reflect the language as it is being used today. In December of 2013, this foundation recommended that the media employ the word autorretrato as an acceptable Spanish alternative to the English Selfie. However seeing the unstoppable surge in the use of Selfi among Spanish speakers this foundation not only has awarded it Word of the Year status but it has changed its recommendation to media outlets accepting that selfi (without the e) is an acceptable word to use.

This practical approach to language is something that the Real Academia has been accused of ignoring, preferring to focus on a Spain-centric approach to language and refusing to accept Americanisms from the different varieties of Spanish spoken in Latin America. But since 1992, the Real Academia works with 21 national Spanish language academies to decide which words will be selected for the dictionary. In the United States alone there are more than 55 million Spanish speakers (more than the entire population of Spain) and in 2012 the American Academy of the Spanish Language announced the inclusion of estadounidismos or words that are exclusively spoken in the United States like paralegal, van, email, parada (parade)  and hispanounidense. Even the word estadounidismos is a word that the Royal Academy needed to adopt to reflect the changing face of the Spanish language. In the most recent edition there are now 19,000 americanismos (words used primarily in the Americas, including the United States).

On the surface, Spanish may seem like a language unwilling to evolve but as you can see this language is more than alive. Regardless of what the Real Academia decides or doesn't decide, people will continue to employ the language that best suits them and reflects their thoughts and ideas. Tuit, impasse, homoparental and mileurista are just some of the words that have been recognized by the Royal Academy this year but there are still plenty of other words that are being used that haven't been officially recognized like apli (an alternative to app), árbitra (female referee) or postureo (posturing). Thanks to organizations like the Fundación BBVA these words are finding support and are helping to move the language forward in way that reflects the reality of the evolution of a language. 

La Palabra del Año 2014

La palabra elegida por la Fundación del Español Urgente es una, que ni siquiera está recogida por la Real Academia, encargada de mantener viva la lengua española, y le sorprenderá saber de qué palabra se trata. Curiosamente, esta palabra fue utilizada por primera vez en 2002 por un australiano ebrio y su traducción literal en español significa autorretrato o autofoto. En España, sin embargo, es mucho más frecuente ver la palabra selfie o selfi.

La palabra selfi le ha ganado la batalla a otras palabras como dron o nomofobia (miedo a estar sin el móvil) que se han convertido en palabras muy comunes durante el último año. También se han oído con frecuencia palabras más tradicionales como abdicar o impago; claro reflejo de los acontecimientos actuales y la situación económica por la que está pasando gran parte de los españoles. Otro hecho interesante es que la palabra selfie fue seleccionada como palabra del año en 2013 por el Diccionario Oxford, después de experimentar un aumento del 17.000% en su uso por las personas de habla inglesa.

Es importante saber que la Real Academia Española no ha incluido intencionadamente la palabra selfi (u otra de sus variaciones) en su última edición del DRAE revisado en 2014. Pero sorprendentemente sí han sido incluidas palabras como amigovio (algo entre amigo y novio), papichulo (hombre, que por su atractivo físico es objeto de deseo) y pícher (jugador de baseball). Pero la inclusión de la palabra selfie se ha desestimado, porque según la Academia es una palabra que no perdurará en el tiempo (¿Acaso la palabra papichulo sí?)

Esta fundación que está apoyada por la Fundación BBVA, tiene como objetivo promover el uso correcto del español en los medios tratando de ser flexible y testigo de la viva imagen del español en la actualidad. En diciembre del 2013 la fundación recomendó a los medios utilizar la palabra autorretrato como alternativa válida para la palabra inglesa selfie. Sin embargo, y en vista del uso imparable de la palabra selfi entre los hispanohablantes, no solo la ha premiado como Palabra del Año, sino que también ha cambiado su recomendación a los medios aceptando que selfi (sin e) también es una palabra válida.

La Real Academia ha sido acusada por ignorar la adaptación al lenguaje, anteponiendo un lenguaje puramente español y rechazando el uso de americanismos propios de los distintos usos del español en Latinoamérica. Sin embargo, la Real Academia colabora desde 1992 con 21 academias de países de habla hispana para decidir la selección de las palabras a incluir en el diccionario. Sólo en Estados Unidos hay más de 55 millones de hispanohablantes (más que toda la población de España) y en 2012 la Academia Americana del Español anunció la inclusión de estadounidismos o palabras de uso propio del español hablado en Estados Unidos como paralegal, van, email, parada e hispanounidense. La propia palabra estadounidismo tuvo que ser aprobada por la Real Academia y es un claro ejemplo de cómo está cambiando la lengua española. La edición más reciente del DRAE incluye ahora unos 19.000 americanismos (palabras que provienen de los países de América, incluidos los Estados Unidos).

A primera vista, el español parece ser una lengua que no evoluciona, pero como podemos observar es una lengua más que viva. Independientemente de lo que decida la Real Academia o no, las personas seguirán utilizando el lenguaje que mejor se adapte a sus pensamientos e ideas. Tuit, impasse, homoparental y mileurista son solo algunas de las palabras que han sido reconocidas este año por la Real Academia y hay un sin fin de palabras en uso que aún no han sido reconocidas de forma oficial como apli (una alternativa de app), árbitra (femenino de árbitro) o postureo. Gracias a organizaciones como la Fundación BBVA palabras como éstas reciben el apoyo necesario, fomentando así el avance y mostrando la evolución real de la lengua.

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_22a7af5b-6ab2-429f-9402-8f85749d107f

Internet giant Google is always up to something. Sometimes it takes the form of something not very useful or, possibly, ahead of its time (think Google Glass) but there are other things that are infinitely helpful, like Google Maps and its associated Street View. Back in the day, we had to use Thomas Guides (if you lived on the west coast of the U.S.) at home and Michelin maps when traveling abroad—two costly, but necessary tools for finding your way in strange places. But Google changed all of that, with street maps for just about anywhere and point to point driving directions that you could print out in the pre-smartphone days. Later, Google took things further with Street View. With this add-on to Maps, you could now SEE the address and visualize your destination.  With all of Western Europe, most of North America, and almost all of South America and Australia uploaded and ready for yo to use, you can travel virtually to just about any place in the world. But in Spain, Google has gone a step further—with Street View, you can now "walk" through some of Spain's most emblematic landmarks such as the Alhambra and Gaudi's Sagrada Familia in Barcelona.

Google Maps began as an Australian startup project headed by two Danish brothers, Lars and Jens Elistrup Rasmussen and in 2004, Google acquired the company and its star product. Maps was launched to the world in February of 2005 and became widely available in October of that year. From then on more locations and features were added like real-time traffic, public transportation routes and the incorporation of satellite images. As features increased and usability improved, more people began to rely on this tool than the old paper maps.

In 2007, Google launched Street View which now enabled users to see street level images of the places that before were just points on a map. Impressively, people could now view and image of where they were going, detect landmarks and make traveling to new destinations more predictable. Available as a mobile app since 2005, Maps has benefitted from the explosion in growth of smartphones and along with the incorporation of point to point navigation capabilities since 2009; it has become a vital app for most people in their everyday life. In fact, today Google Maps is the world's most popular Smartphone application with over half of the world's smartphones accessing it on any given day.

In October of 2008, Google launched Street View in Spain with coverage primarily limited to the largest cities. Little by little coverage has expanded to cover almost all of the streets in Spain. Today you can breeze through the streets of Salamanca, Madrid, Barcelona, Granada, Seville, Tenerife, Alicante, Cádiz and Valencia without any problem and explore what once you could only read about in guide books.

 In certain places around the world, Google has delved deeper into local destinations offering greater detail of places of universal interest or current events. For example, Google offers street view of the stadiums of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the Pyramids of Giza and the Grand Canyon. Normally Google uses a car to capture the images that we see but they have also use people trekking, camels, carts, tricycles and underwater rigs (for the Great Barrier Reef among other places).

This past December, Google incorporated into its Street View library 50 new Spanish monuments that you can explore from your computer or mobile device. (See the full list below) Now you can see the interior of places like the Cathedral of León, considered to be the best example of the use of stained glass outside of France and comparable to that of Chartres. This cathedral is also considered by many to be the most beautiful cathedral in all of Spain. There is also the Alhambra which you can walk through and admire its amazing craftsmanship and design.

There are also natural areas like remains of a mountain that is Las Medulas in León, once the most important gold mine of the Roman Empire.  Traverse the Roman aqueduct de les Ferreres or hike through the barren moonscape of the Bardenas Reales in Navarre. You will be amazed at the incredible wealth of natural and historic landmarks that dot this country the size of California.

Google has created an application that has made the world smaller and more accessible to everyone, but this doesn't mean that this app hasn't been free of controversy. There have been privacy issues raised with the illegal collection of Wi-Fi data along with where and how images are captured—in Switzerland and Japan Google has had to lower the height of its cameras to avoid taking pictures of private yards and they have even ceased to take street pictures in Germany since 2011 due to government resistance. One of the greatest criticisms of Google is that they put innovation ahead of everything else—including your privacy. In 2013, Google settled an American court case related the capture of personal Wi-Fi data using the Google Maps car and this has made this Silicon Valley giant become more sensitive to privacy concerns and they have since put controls in place to prevent privacy breaches in the future.  

Even though Google makes a ton of money, it is nice to know that they don't make a whole lot with Street View and Maps. This is a service that is used to create loyalty to the Google brand and, possibly, down the road there will be opportunities for them to make money through ads and custom map content. But today we are able to benefit from a product—more specifically a part of the product—that this company is willing to invest a large amount of resources in with a cultural purpose: a purpose that gives you the possibility to explore the world's treasures in a way that was impossible before.

Here are the 50 newest architectural and geographic treasures of Spain available in Street View:

1.  La Alhambra y el Generalife
2. Pueblo fortificado de Albarracín
3. Pueblo fortificado de Galisteo
4. Circuito de la Comunidad Valenciana Ricardo Tormo
5. Muralla Romana de Lugo
6. Monasterio de Yuso
7. Monasterio de Suso
8. Catedral de Pamplona
9. Parlamento de Cataluña
10. Castillo de Montsoriu
11. Catedral de León
12. Las Médulas de León
13. Parque Arqueológico de Atapuerca
14. Yacimientos de la Sierra de Atapuerca
15. Bardenas Reales
16. Torre de Hércules
17. Real Jardín Botánico CSIC
18. Universidad de Vigo
19. Catedral de Sevilla
20. Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia
21. Santuario Santa María Magdalena
22. Castillo de Petrer
23. Plaza de Toros de Vista Alegre
24. Castillo de Banyeres de Mariola
25. Cantera del Médol
26. Acueducto de les Ferreres
27. Pueblo fortificado de Palazuelos
28. Muralla de Ávila
29. Castillo de la Mola
30. Estadio de Balaídos (RC Celta Vigo)
31. Biblioteca de Cataluña
32. Ateneo Barcelonés
33. Facultad de Filología y Matemáticas (Universidad de Barcelona)
34. Facultad de Medicina (Universidad de Barcelona)
35. Castillo de Peñíscola
36. Congreso de los Diputados
37. Palacio de la Heures (Universidad de Barcelona)
38. Finca Pedro Pons (Universidad de Barcelona)
39. Santa Maria del Mar
40. Pabellones Gaudí (Universidad de Barcelona)
41. Hospital de Sant Pau
42. Real Monasterio de Santa María de Poblet
43. Castillo de Miravet
44. Monasterio de Sant Pere de Galligants, Mona
45. Castillo Monasterio de Escornalbou
46. Real Monasterio de Santes Creus
47. Abadía de Montserrat
48. Parque Minero de Almadén
49. Museo de Historia de Cataluña
50. Monasterio Sant Pere de Rodes

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_f6cca191-c1b6-40f5-b23c-34942690c0da

The Beatles was a band that swept over the world with startling speed, even a country like Spain couldn't avoid this English steamroller thanks in part to Radio Luxembourg and its shortwave transmissions of rock n roll into Spain. One person, in particular, who was an admirer of the group, also used the lyrics from these transmitted Beatles songs to help teach English to his students. Juan Carrión, now 90 years old, was an English teacher at the University of Cartagena and his story was the inspiration behind the movie Living Is Easy with Eyes Closed by David Trueba which was selected as Spain's entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the 2015 Academy Awards.

During the time Juan Carrión was teaching languages, there wasn't an established teaching method employed in Spain. Instead, he had to create his own classroom teaching strategies and help his students succeed in language learning. One tool that he employed which made him different from his peers was his use of music in the classroom. By getting his students to listen to songs and their lyrics, he believed that this would help them improve their listening comprehension. His notions today are backed by research that states that using music in the foreign language classroom produces positive "emotional and learning enhancements". In a University of Edinburgh study and workbook the author states that songs are an authentic, challenging and enjoyable method of getting students involved in the language which can lead to them practicing outside of the classroom.

What makes Juan Carrión so unique are the lengths he went to so that his students would learn correctly what was being sung by the artists. You have to remember that Juan didn't have the albums of his favorite band which meant that he had to write down the lyrics to the Beatles songs as he heard them on the radio. Not an easy thing to do even for native speaker.  As you can imagine his notebook was full of lyrics and some empty spaces where he couldn't figure out what they were saying.

John Lennon in Spain

As luck would have it, in the autumn of 1966, Juan discovered that John Lennon was in Almería filming the movie, How I Won the War. This was a difficult time for John since he had just finished touring non-stop for three years and the fame surrounding him was becoming a tremendous burden, so much so that he was considering leaving the band. Unlike the stereotypical rabid Beatles fan, Juan was a quiet and modest teacher with a goal—to ask John to fill in the gaps in his notebooks of copied lyrics and ask John (and the Beatles) to publish their lyrics on the album sleeves like other bands.

Going to Almeria from Cartagena by bus in the 60s was certainly a long and hot drive along winding country roads and stopping at every village along the way. Juan did this not knowing if he would meet one of the most famous rock stars at that moment. After one week of trying to arrange a meeting he was finally permitted to meet with John Lennon as he was playing soccer with fellow actor Michael Crawford. His first words directed to Juan were "you're late". John was probably just as shocked at the appearance of this not quite middle-aged "groupie" asking for help with understanding his lyrics and "demanding" that the Beatles print their lyrics so everyone can understand what they are saying in their songs.

As a result of this 40 minute encounter, John Lennon took the time to fill in gaps and add some notes of his own to Juan's notebooks. John was fascinated so much with the idea that his music could be used to teach people English he even promised Juan that he would stop by and visit his school one day (a promise that he couldn't keep). Whether or not Juan was the motor behind the change, in 1967 the Beatles published for the first time the lyrics to their songs in liner notes of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and would do so for the remainder of their albums. It should also be noted that "Strawberry Fields Forever" was penned by Lennon during his stay in Almería.

Today, you can see the movie that was inspired by this story starring Spanish Actor, Javier Cámara (Talk to Her) and Jorge Sanz (Belle Époque). Winner of seven Goyas, the Spanish equivalent of the Oscar, including Best Film, Best Actor and Best Director, this movie changes some of the details of Juan's pilgrimage but stays true to the spirit of the times and the character of this unique and compelling language teacher.

Here is a brief interview with Juan Carrión (in Spanish).

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_352da9d3-0c37-47ae-b0e6-6c0ce84af8fc

It has recently been announced that one of the longest and most bitter embargoes imposed on a country is about to lifted by the United States from Cuba. After 54 years, this embargo instead of forcing the departure of the Castro dictatorship had reinforced it. The Cuban government deftly managed to blame the economic woes and suffering of Cuba on the embargo imposed by its northern neighbor. Now, thanks to various parties including Pope Frances, Cuba and the United States have begun to thaw their icy relationship in the hopes of starting a new era of cooperation and understanding. American tourist will be one of the first groups of people to benefit from this monumental moment in American history.

Since the American embargo was created, it hasn't been illegal (technically) to travel to Cuba but there was a catch: American citizens were not allowed to spend any money while there—including airfare or airport taxes which eliminated flying as a travel possibility. Imagine travelling to another country but not being able to spend any money—you're ATM card is useless here. Well, as you can see this eliminated any practical possibility of travel to this country only 90 miles from the Florida shore. Up to now, there have been trips that were exempted from this travel ban such as cultural or educational exchanges as well as the newer "people to people" trips organized by authorized travel agencies. But traveling to Cuba legally has been more trouble than it is worth for most people since the time necessary to receive a visa from Cuban authorities could take anywhere from six months to a year.

Exceptionally, Americans, under risk of prosecution and jail, have made the trip to the island by way of a third country like Canada, Mexico or Spain. To aid Americans in facilitating their trip, the Cuban authorities never stamped pass ports and visas were always affixed to a form and not to the passport. Unlike people visiting the country with official recognition, clandestine tourist could enjoy recreational activities like going to the beach, scuba diving or enjoying a solitary hike in the mountains. Their fellow travelers visiting on an official visit were required to adhere to a tightly controlled schedule of activities and meetings required to comply with the State Departments requirements on travel to Cuba.

Today, with the revision to travel guidelines still to be made clear, the US government has said that while it will not eliminate travel restrictions completely, it has implied that they will be broadly reworded so that just about any trip may be considered for official recognition. Short term and long term study abroad opportunities will surely be considered an educational activity that will be permitted under this new program. Best of all, visitors will now be permitted to return to the States with souvenirs and prized Cuban cigars. Up to now, legal American visitors to Cuba are only allowed to bring back cultural material like art, books, films and CDs.

Undoubtedly, this change in policy is good for Cuba, America and the rest of the world. Considering what has happened in other countries, Cuba and its people will benefit greatly from necessary foreign investment and the freedoms that come from opening up to the world without restrictions. What we should all be concerned about though, is how this influx of money will change the landscape of the largest and one of the most underdeveloped of the Caribbean islands.

A country frozen in time will suddenly be launched into the 21^st century at warp speed and the awkward charm that so clearly identifies this country is in danger of disappearing forever. It is up to the United States and Cuba to make a transition that will benefit the people of Cuba as quickly as possible while preserving its heritage that has been earned with the sweat, ingenuity and sacrifice of the people that have lived through these oppressive times.

• Read more about enforex_pages_landing_block_1b7ed8cb-1c8a-47e0-8cf2-f12506356245