Be Contemporary

When it comes to studying history you have to take into account more than just the facts. It turns out that they are related to each other, since the past determined both the present and the future. Coinciding with the transformations of time and different historical contexts entails being part of different ideologies and cultural movements that highlight the identity of a country, as well as that of an individual. Belonging to a historical time entails judging beyond some frame of reference.

So what does it mean to be contemporary? Giorgio Agamben explains that:

“ Contemporaneity is that unique relationship with time itself, which adheres to it but, at the same time, distances itself from it; more specifically, she is that relationship with time that adheres to it through a gap and an anachronism.”

This combination of belonging to a specific time frame and not corresponding to it creates a problem. It results in a gap trying to decipher how it does not coincide with the time and space in which they exist. But, a change in perspective recognizes the totality of new discoveries that may have previously been ambiguous or uncertain.

Attached and distant from what is current, simultaneously, is “being contemporary.” Giorgio Agamben suggests that: “Contemporary is one who has his gaze fixed on his time, to perceive not the light but the darkness. “All times are, for those who experience contemporary times, dark.” The art of coexisting in darkness is poetic, since it sees time as something discontinuous and alternate to a reality that accustomed other perceptions. This is why it is interpreted as how different eras come together and do not create a margin between “my time” and “your time”, everything happens at the same time.

It is important to link this concept with any aspect, since it is a way of being. As for example, in terms of art and architecture, it manifests itself in the same way. Contemporary art, which is the art of our time, is created and manifested in the present, responding to the cultural consciousness of the moment, its society, the common needs and the spirit of the time. And it is art that is inherent to humans, their culture and their evolution. Likewise, contemporary architecture is a type of structure that incorporates a variety of architectural styles influenced by a variety of sources. In conclusion, it is interpreted as an adaptive process of forms, where other historical periods are taken into consideration as well as other thoughts, which determines the sense of belonging and impact.