Art???

We had a lazy day, as we were tired and were changing apartments —moving from Palermo to Recoleta, so that we could have an experience in another part of BA. Given that our apartments in Palermo was spacious and clean, I think that we were all having some misgivings about our earlier decision to pack up and move. But, the rental period was up and off we went.

Our new digs are located in a building that was probably constructed in the 1930s. The lobby is pretty unassuming, and the elevator is tiny — more like a small closet (so small that the three of us and our luggage could not fit in one trip). We went upstairs and found a charming 2 bedroom, two bathroom apartment. At the time that the apartment was built, this must have been considered a very luxurious apartment. Why? First, when you get off the elevator on your floor, there is a small entry and only one door, for one apartment. Second, there are two entrances to the apartment — a front one for residents and guests, and a back one, which must have been for the maid. This is pretty funny, given that the entire apartment is probably no more than 400 square feet! Third, there are two sinks in the kitchen — one for dishes and the other for laundry, etc. We settled in and set out to have a bite to eat and to explore San Telmo Market.

We had a lovely lunch, with some tasty empanadas near San Telmo. Every guidebook that we read made it clear that going to San Telmo for the Sunday market/street fair was required. We read that it was filled with antique vendors, and craftsmen. Well, you can’t always believe what you read. The market was filled with lots of old junk, and the handcrafts were tourist novelties. But, committed to making the best of the situation, we found ourselves some fun.

Kelly spied some tango dancers in a square. While they weren’t fantastic, it was fun to see some regular folks — including a man of about 70 — dancing in the square.

Then, we walked down a side street, and Kelly saw a shop that had Fileteado art. It took us some sleuthing to find the entrance, but when we did we were delighted to meet a young artist who was working in the studio. He told us that this style of art developed in the 1920s and 1930s, and began as decorations for carriages. Over time, the art was used to create signs that advertised bars, cafes, and tango dances. The art fell out of favor, and has been revived by some young artists. Some of the pieces that were on display were not for sale, as they are part of an upcoming exhibition (sadly, as Kelly had her eye on a piece), others were for sale. I snagged two small signs to hang at the River.

Our next stop was the Museum of Modern Art. When we walked in, we were surprised to learn that admission was free. We soon found out why; the building is being remodeled and there was only one exhibit. But, what an interesting exhibit. The artist is Tomas Saraceno, who is an Argentinian. For a reason that was lost in translation, he is fascinated with the art created by spiders (aka, spiderwebs). Apparently, he has spent more than a decade studying spiders and working with scientists who study arachnids. He and a team spent months gathering 17 colonies of spiders to create a large installation. These are all “social” spiders, who work collaboratively and creating spider webs. (Fortunately, after we say the exhibit, we also got to see a film demonstrating the process and while it was in Spanish, we could get the general idea.). The installation is in a very large room — 190 sq meters. The walls, floor and ceiling are painted black. In the center are wire/metal frames. The artist and his team gathered 7000 spiders, and introduced them into the exhibition space. Over a period of 6 weeks, the spiders spun a series of webs that stretch and hang over the frames. Spot lights highlight the webs. You walk around the edge, so that you don’t disturb the webs. (The spiders were removed, but no one at the museum could explain how that occurred and I couldn’t find any explanation on the internet.). Pictures really don’t do the exhibit justice. Honestly, it was just wild.

From now on, when I run into yet another spiderweb at the River, I’ll simply call it art and walk around the side.Read more