4 A exposition adorn the political art

By Marjan Groothuis
Buenos Aires Herald
Sunday, 16th Febrery of 2003

Is interesting to compare the exhibition Painted Small mouths that finish today (Room 4 of the Cultural Center Recoleta), with recently inaugurated Anxiety and Devotion in the Foundation Proa. They were mounted by Julio Sanchez and Rodrigo Alonso respectively, both historians of the art, professors and curators. Whatsoever, the samples could hardly be different in style. First it is dominated by an almost frivolous vision, whereas the other is loaded of symbolism, writing with capital letter. Anxiety and Devotion throw one lasts cautious to the Argentina policy and its influence on the society, in the present and throughout history. This does not mean that the exhibition is not worth the trouble, but all the opposite, although once in a while it is difficult to digest and, unfortunately, the politically correct thing sometimes acquires too much superiority. Nevertheless, this is a tendency very common in these days, being the last one It documents in Kassel the main example, but the great question is, of course: is the artistic manifestations the correct form to communicate and to put on the alert to the people about the social problems? The Guernica de Picasso could be an exception - to the point of which during one of the speeches of Colin Powell on Iraq the carpets that reproduced this painting in the building of the United Nations were covered because they mentioned the horrors of the war but, of course, it does not stop the social injustices. On the other hand, he is understandable which the artists feel the necessity to express their thoughts and preoccupations through their art, but only in exceptional cases this arrives at the public in its totality. Another point to consider is that the artistic work would have to at least be interesting to see, ideally, although he is provocative, because otherwise it is in vain and a mere auto justified exercise.
Any way, the focussing of Alonso is just and his concept is very much deliberate. Really, it depend of two ideas call “anxiety” –that fight with conflicts of social orderand and with the emigration- “devoutness” –that work about the religion and the spirituality-.Not all the thirty seven guest artits are equallychallenger, but is interested to know that none of the works were do specially for this exhibition. They were group for their curator underneath a clear thought. It’s a laudable exposition. There are very good woks, good woks and obvious and literals woks, but the visitor will enjoy.//
In first stage, pay attention to the photographies of Juan Travnik, that they emphasize the little respect that offers him to the cultural patrimony in Buenos Aires: few doors are of which once it was a beautiful building, although the construction of a rectangular block of concrete is in progress. The social really is take in the Daniel Ontiveros wock: a small cart of supermarket (1998) replete of small empty logs that today are luxurious. Many people try to subsist gather paper or look for work (like in the photographies of Sebastian Friedman) or protest (like the photographies of Gian Paolo Minelli). A poetic profile can find in the work of Leonel Luna where the cars delay for the cutting of a route seem to emerge of the horizon.
In the ground floor, the photography of Carlos Furman of a Christ in a cross in means of a field flooded in Pampas is almost surrealist, although that the images of Santiago Cavinato of persons wolk to the Church of San Cayetano in Liniers, carry images of saints, show the desperate situation of many argentines. The work of Oscar Bony that show a Saint or a Virgin dress white and a discharge of bale in the glass work about the violence. It was realize in 1999, it was look like a predicton of the present situation where nobady and nothing seem sacred.
In the same floor, although in another room, the works can be found that make reference to the emigration. The project "Argentine selected" made by a group of artists, it presents to a virtual company, that it offered to export Argentine professionals to the world in special capsules. It was designed and put a Web site online, advertising pamphlets became, posters, etc. - that is to say, all the tricks of marketing to send successful to a company and in three months 300,000 people visited the site and many of them sent their curriculum. The project show the ingenuousness of the public and the power of manipulation of the companies, but also show the tragic situation of laboral mart where the people grasp to anything that like an opportunity. Finally, the videos of Silvia Cafici and Gabriela Golder about four Peruvian women talk about their lifes in Argentin like domestics employees, and the “Mercado de cuerpos” of Francisco Paredes show other profile of thesocial reality.

Boquitas Pintadas (room 4) finish today in the Centro Cultural Recoleta (until 21 o’clock). Ansia y Devoción in the Fundación Proa, Av. Pedro de Mendoza 1929 ( La Boca) can see until 28th October. Horary: Tuesday to Sunday of 11 to 19 hours.