Valentín Roma: Class Consciousness Can Exist Without Desire to Revert
Valentín Roma, a writer, former footballer, and art curator, currently serves as the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona (MACBA). Roma reflects on his personal journey, stating that he fully embraced the aspirational dreams of the working classes. However, he contends that hypocrisy is far more prevalent in bourgeois settings than in a locker room environment. He believes it is possible to maintain an awareness of one's social class origins without necessarily wishing to return to that specific social stratum.
Valentín Roma's perspective highlights the complex relationship between social mobility, aspiration, and class identity. His observation suggests that upward mobility can lead to a detachment from one's origins, while simultaneously fostering a critical view of the destination class. The contrast drawn between bourgeois salons and locker rooms points to differing social dynamics and perceived authenticity. This raises questions about how societal structures and individual experiences shape perceptions of class and hypocrisy, particularly in the context of evolving economic and cultural landscapes over the next decade. The challenge lies in fostering genuine social cohesion across diverse class backgrounds, rather than perpetuating divisions based on perceived moral or social superiority.
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