POINTES 2010 - 2015: Towards a critical spirit

Abstract from Prologue

[…] I confess that one calls with attention to try to Torio young people that come in any moment of their studies and while facing the inabarcable requirement that the thousand of subjects and works facing during college together with the necessary fun, freely start with no other apparent reason that the imperious necessity of communicating and thinking, and dedicate their little remaining time to the publication of any time of fanzine, of writing more or less informal or even of a serious magazine, as it is the case. If ten numbers are also released in a considerable period of time, the admiration aroused is more than justified.

There is a generosity of doubtful profitability offered in being embarked in the realisation of a publication. However when seeing the effort poured with no evident reason, one can always verify that these young people do always go to great lengths. (And I don’t solely mean ‘’great lengths’’ in merely professional terms). It is enough to make a count of the architects who in their youth carried out publications to see the intellectual transcendence that it is for one to begin an adventure of that caliber. Amon g the names coming to my mind it is Le Corbusier, Rafael Moneo or Steven Holl, together with many others who felt, before becoming themselves renowned, a necessity -it is also true that they had very different reasons- to start a young publication yet transcendent in any of their biographies. 

Without teorizing about the reasons that each one of those illustrious ancestors had, what can be highlighted is what this means of good disposition, certain constancy, an undisputed generosity in the effort and a level of self-discipline that is not negligible. Attributes that are tremendously useful for the future. I insist, whatever that may be.

Embarking on a publication as an architect, artist, writer or philosopher is therefore a double exercise toward what one expects of one's discipline and one's own abilities and attitudes. To have a publication in hand is to make of oneself a "critic-being”, at least that is what is stated in Pointes: "Pointes is a publication of art and architecture by students and professionals from different artistic venues, who intends to revive the debate and take us "Towards a critical spirit", as well as the investigation of the most important references of the twentieth century”. I think that the publication of Pointes is a complement for them where to approach the learning areas they were never offered at school, of what they miss and would have liked to know before. To a certain extent it is a recrimination to which any teacher would respond as a challenge.

As it is easily understandable, this aspiration of self-formation and criticism is totally not minor and it is specially surprising coming from the youth collective against which so many prejudices are manifested by by a society that has forgotten that it was young once. There will be those who get amazed, but anyone who develops his work near young people knows of their abilities. No one has to doubt, the future is assured. The stimulus that  such a dedication means, such a dedication, is extended mysteriously and it’s contagious.  […]

by Santiago de Molina