In early April of 2017 I set out to do an Artist Exploration Residency for 2 weeks with Proyecto ‘ace in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
I was obsessed. My obsession started with learning about the School of the South, propelled by artist Joaquin Torres Garcia. The moment I saw his work, I knew I had found something special. His symbols painted or carved in stone, were the thing that locked me in.
Hence, I ventured down to Buenos Aires with a budding series, “Shared Symbols”. I wanted to know, was there a common thread between North America and South America?
The flight to Buenos Aires was hell, I thought I was dying and laid down on the tiny bathroom floor, my luggage was lost, and it definitely did not feel familiar. (No one but the really ill lie on an airplane floor). A few buses later, I met up with my host and director of Proyecto ‘ace, Alicia Candiani. She and her husband walked me through the city blocks to my apartment.
The next day I trained it to my destination, Proyecto ‘ace, and found my studio up a beautiful, spiral staircase. My place in the sky. What a trip!
I spent a lot of time going to the many Contemporary Art Museums in Buenos Aires, so I could absorb the energy, culture, and art history of the times. Dream came true, and I was able to get to Uruguay by ferry to see the Joaquin Torres Garcia Museum in Montevideo.
It took 3 cabs to get me to the Contemporary Arts Museum, but I was determined to see the works of the School of the South. It was a holiday so a telephone or a cab was an insane request. Oops, looking like a true Westerner at this point, I just smiled at whoever spoke Spanish to me. Awkward moment and a bit anxious, with good reason, as it was getting dark. And then, there he was, a smiling cab driver who stopped and returned me safely to my city apartment.
I was to return to Proyecto ‘ace this past May 1, 2020, to continue working on the “Shared Symbols” series. Obviously, Covid grounded us all. No one in and no one out. No international travel. (Wait, WHAT???)
I was in touch with Alicia, the director, and we both recognized it was not possible .
We were both disappointed, but we knew we would adapt somehow. Proyecto ‘ace is an international artist exchange, designed to include artists from all over the globe.
If you made it through this blog you are a champ! I just wanted to share a bit of my imprinted memory of actually seeing a glimpse of what was called, “The School of the South”.
