By Pamela Aguirre Leonetti
Buenos Aires city will live an artistic celebration that will captivate everyone from September 6 through 12. The Art Basel Cities Week, a unique and historic project with more than 85 activations that places Buenos Aires at the top of international artworld. Here in Le Banana we tell you what you can’t miss of these 7 days full of creativity free and open to all.
What to See and Where?
The main highlight of the week will be Hopscotch (Rayuela), a citywide innovative exhibition curated by Italian Art Director Cecilia Alemani, which includes unknown works of 18 Argentine and international artists. Like Julio Cortázar experimental novel, the exhibition offers a free interpretation: to “jump” among five neighbourhoods –La Boca, Puerto Madero, Costanera Sur, Recoleta, Palermo– to discover hidden places such as squares, parks, derelict buildings, and piers and appreciate the dialogue between large-scale, performative and interactive works and the urban landscape.
Must-see
Art Basel Agenda is almost endless, that’s why in Le Banana we talked with Manuela Hansen, Art Basel coordinator from the GCBA, and we did a selection of the artworks that you can’t miss.
One of the must-see artworks is the installation “Kermit the Frog, Even”, which Alex Da Corte will place at Arenas III Studios of La Boca, a deformed and impaled replica of the balloon of Kermit the Frog from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade which was accidentally deflated in 1991 and permanently retired. A symbol with multiple interpretations which will be available to be seen from September 6 through 12 from 10 to 18.
The Arenas Studios (Av. Don Pedro de Mendoza 965) will be home to another highlight: the performance “Aggregate” with 60 performers drifting through the space that Romanian artist Alexandra Pirici will activate from September 6 through 10 from 13 to 17 ( if it doesn’t rain, on September 11 and 12 the performance will be shown on Paseo de la Rambla from 14 a 18)
The 30m x 70 m mural that American artist Barbara Kruger will place at the Silos de la Antigua Junta Nacional de Granos of Puerto Madero is another must-see. The painted mural,called “Untitled (No puedes vivir sin nosotras/You Can’t Live Without Us) will be placed on September 6 and will remain there, and it is one of the feminist artworks of the project.
Among the works of local artists, there stands out “Alfabeto Lunar/ Lunar Alphabet” created by renowned Leandro Katz, a new version of his 1978 work “Alfabeto Lunar”, created this time with tiles made of cement and bronze, which will be inaugurated on September 6 at the entryway patio to the National Library and will remain there.
Another local artwork that shouldn’t be missed is “Perspective of Absence”, of Eduardo Basualdo, an intervention in a pier located at the Asociación Argentina de Pesca, near the Reserva Ecológica Costanera Sur, which has been forgotten and where people can’t always access, and which will be installed from September 6 through 12 from 12 to 20. A piece of advice? Manuela Hansen told us that since the artwork is really poetic it is better to see it at sunset to fully enjoy it.
Feminist themes can be seen in many artworks along Hopscotch and there are two local women whose works are worth seeing. One is Ad Minoliti’s “Symposium for expanded painting and speculative fiction”, which will be at Casa Victoria Ocampo (Rufino de Elizalde 2831, Palermo), from 6 through 12 from 12 to 20 and will include a symposium with renowned artists and thinkers on September 8 from 14 to 20. The other one is “Niebla”. Paintings, dresses, and ropes make up Mariela Scafati’s artwork, where the experimentation with color and form are at the center. Where? At Museo de la Cárcova from 6 through 12 from 10 to 18.
Argentine-Israeli artist Mika Rottenberg, a leading figure of New York art world, is presenting for the first time an artwork in her country of origin and this work is another highlight. The artwork, named Cosmic Generator, is a BA variant of one of her videos and it will be able to be seen at Cuartel de los Bomberos Voluntarios de La Boca (Brandsen, between Palos and Martín Rodríguez) all along the whole Art Basel Week from 10 to 18.
Another must-see the work “Eternity”, created by Maurizio Cattelan, a pop up that pretends to be a “cemetery for life” and that will be at Plaza Sicilia at Av. Libertador and Sarmiento from 6 to 12 from 11 to 19.
Besides, if you have time, we suggest that you make some space to see one of the three releases of 200 helium balloons that will be done as part of the performance “Señalamiento del cielo/Signaling the Sky”, of the American David Horvitz. When? On September 7th from 17 to 19 at the National Library (Agüero 2502, CABA); on September 9th, from 16 to 18 at the waterfront of La Boca, and on September 12th, from 16 to 18, in front of Ex Cervecería Munich, at Puerto Madero.
Have a look at the full Art Basel Agenda here. Stay tuned with Le Banana Instagram take overs!