How does art connect to community development? A neighborhood organizer from Chicago contacted my Buenos Aires traveler’s concierge service recently asking about art tours in the lesser known neighborhood, Barracas. Michael, an architect and art enthusiast traveled to Buenos Aires about 5 years ago and paid a quick visit to the less visited neighborhood. He couldn’t shake the feeling that its abandoned warehouses and low prices would attract artist and young people who would in turn be the fertilizer motivating the zone to bloom.
Michael wanted to see for himself the changes, if any, that had occurred since his last visit. Having lived in Barracas when I first moved to Buenos Aires, I was intrigued and exited to arrange a unique experience for him.
His personalized day of exploration was planned for 4 hours in which we would visit 3 local artists at their ateliers (workshops). There, we were to investigate the connection between art and community development through (translated) conversations with the artists that were active in the neighborhood. Each visit was eye-opening, offered many answers and evoked even more questions.
Our first stop was Calle Lanin. Calle Lanin is a nothing-special street in Barracas, turned hidden tourist spot with fantastic bright mosaic murals spanning walls and buildings. We arrived at Calle Lanin and followed a trail of brightly painted buildings to find the home and office of the artist responsible for the artwork. The artist is expecting us and completely looks the part: wildly coiffed, salt-and-pepper hair, worn jeans and a smile on his face. He welcomes us into his home and our jaws drop simultaneously as we take in the artwork and architecture of the unique space. He explains that Barracas is his home and after a long career in art, he decided to bring his two loves together: art and his neighborhood. He says that by holding art classes and seminars in his studio that the community could experiment creatively and grow together. My client Michael is quite intrigued, as this artist seems to be a community activist in his own way.
Neither man speaks the others’ language, but between lots of gestures and clear translating they share a unique exchange. The conversation spans from the government’s responsibility and interest in the Barracas to their personal feelings about the large amount of work still left to do to breathe life and power into the neighborhood. Both feel that there is remarkable potential in terms of creative minds, real estate, physical space and location, considering that Barracas is right next to San Telmo. This artist has connections with the government and believes that the local governor and tourism secretary will be looking to invest in Barracas soon. We all wonder if that’s the solution or not.
The second atelier we visit is in the house of an internationally known sculpture artist. His is the kind of art that shocks. Upon entering we see perfect small scale replicas of hot-bodied models in varying, yet strictly skimpy outfits. Some are pure copies of famous models and others are a funky mix. The girls are accessorized to the nines with shoes that could star in Sex and the City.
We discuss the small changes in Barracas over the last few years. He explains that he has lived in Barracas his entire life and has attracted other artists to the area. Michael, who has an architectural background, is a little thrown off by the semi-nude models but is intrigued by the design of the traditional “chorizo” style house. This ubiquitous style of house was basically a 1-story long single family home that has been chopped into multiple single-family homes accessible through a shared hallway. Homeowners tended to divide their own house to make money by renting the other spaces.
Our host has now completed the circle by buying the entire “chorizo” house and remodeling it back into one home. We explored the house and climbed up to the roof to take in the view. From the cobble-stoned streets to the baker’s awning, my first instinct was that this could be Palermo. Michael agreed and went on to ask about the abandoned factories and houses that lined the streets. He fantasized about cool lofts and community spaced in low-rent, high square footage dwellings. The artist mentioned that most of the factories have been shut down for a while and that the government has not done much at all about the empty spaces.
Our third visit is to the atelier of two artists in a very special building. Once a large shipping depot, a culturally-sensitive builder as taken an entire city block, painted the buildings with colorful designs and turned it into an enormous compound. Facing the street are commercial shops and workshops while the heart of the buildings are dedicated to office space and large studios.
From the predictable lobby we enter into a freight elevator and the doors open into a gigantic and bare lot. We are confused but confident that we have arrived at the right level. We follow the light to a landing where we find the promising big red doors. Entering into the large studio with heaven-high ceilings, we are greeted by two artists who share the space. Surrealist and modernist paintings line the entire room and lean against one another. The artist explains that his work is inspired by community crises. We can clearly see this in his work – angry faces in mobs, their screams jump off the canvas and the villas (slums) come alive.
We ask about the move to Barracas since he mentioned he recently left his previous studio in another Buenos Aires neighborhood to come and work here. He says that an artist friend of his told him about the space and it was love at first site. So much room, so much potential. He says that he and other artists are working on bringing even more talented peers to work in the same building and to create galleries and events to offer publicly. He and the other residents artists are ready to create a community there now.
By this point Michael is pretty satisfied considering the enlightening conversations and realization that his hunch about Barracas had been dead on. We looked at each other and remarked that the only thing this tour was missing was lunch! Buenos Aires never fails in terms of providing an antiquated café/bar to sit down and have a traditional meal. We choose a cafe on Montes de Oca street, which happens to be the first important passageway in all of Buenos Aires- connecting the La Boca port to the “Centro” or downtown area. The café happens to be one of Buenos Aires’ “Bares Notables” – a title attributed by the government in it’s campaign to save the oldies-but-goodies around town. This brings Michael and I back in time to the “Barracas Antigua”, worn wooden tables, seltzer water jugs and stained glass windows.
Feeling the swirl of Buenos Aires old and new, past and present, we leave Barracas to the neighborhood of Congreso. A young architecturally-inspired artist who has accompanied us on our Barracas journey, giving insights along the way invites us to his own studio to see his newest work. Stepping into his house Michael chuckles in awe at his work. This young artist creates 3-D models of buildings with striking structural and textural details so precise that they look real. These buildings measuring about 20 centimeters in depth and 2 feet by 3 feet tall have the same grime and glitter as all Buenos Aires buildings and even have working streetlamps. He introduces us to his current project: replicating a theater complete with acoustic design and brass door handles. On our way out, we thank him for accompanying us and he thanks us for sharing our day with him, admitting that he learned a lot about a neighborhood that stands just 15 minutes away from his home.
Michael and I agree that the past 5 hours were truly a trip back and forth in time. His speculations of Barracas were right on and the transformation is still in the beginning stages. Each artist had offered a unique perspective on the subject of art and community development yet the artist of Calle Lanin was certainly the most excited – ready to jump at the opportunity to stay in contact and perhaps meet again and provoke change.
Buenos Aires has a strong-as-steel art culture and its neighborhoods have a life of their own. Each barrio has it’s own particular style and artists who look forward to growth and success. Michael and I look forward to connecting world-wide with artists, travelers, thinkers, community organizers, architects, sustainability specialist and curious parties to plunge further into Buenos Aires’ communities and see where progress can be made.
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