The III Encuentro Latinoamericano de Diseño (3rd Meeting of Latin American Design) happened on the days July 29th to August 1st, promoted by Universidad de Palermo of Buenos Aires. In these 4 days there were more than 350 conferences, seminaries and workshops related to Graphic Design, Product Design, Fashion Design, Photography, Motion Pictures, etc., totally free, on the two headquarters of the University. About 10.000 people, Design professionals and students of all Latin America came to Buenos Aires to witness the event.
Due to the great number of activities at the same time, it was necessary to choose which could be the most interesting to see. Some presentations were crowded, others did not have five spectators. The presentations I liked most were the one by Mario Eskenazi about visual identity, Basso Brovelli’s about Web Campaign and the one from Wunderman marketing agency of Argentina. There were presentations that I (with all the people that crowded the rooms) thought could be interesting, but they had not added me much thing. It seems that many speakers didn’t want to disclose all the ”tips for the success”, turning their presentations very superficial. Some speakers didn’t appear to their own presentation and until the last minute it was not informed to the people that were in line in front of the room that it would not have the presentation.
Mario Eskenazi presentation
In July 28th to 31st of 2009 this meeting will happen again in the Universidad de Palermo. I invite all designers to come and expand your contacts with all the countries of Latin America.
Where?
Universidad de Palermo | Facultad de Diseño y Comunicación | Mario Bravo, 1050 | Tel: +54 (11) 4964-4600 / 5199-4500
sepphora | 3:24 pm | Palermo | “0 Comments”
The Jardín Japonés (Japanese Garden) is located next to the Bosques de Palermo (Palermo Woods), as an extension of this green area inside the city of Buenos Aires. With almost 2 hectares, there are 150 species of plants, many of them brought from Japan, and a lake full of colorful carps. We can see other animals such as ducks, herons, different birds and fat Japanese (or sleepy) cats, all living in harmony and peace.
Sight of the lake with the arched bridge
It was created in 1967 by the Japanese community that lived in Buenos Aires and donated to the city by the Association of the Japanese Immigrants in 1979, as a gratitude symbol. In 1977, the landscaper Yasuo Inomata and the engineer Isakari redesigned the garden in the “Zen” style, as a traditional Japanese garden. An artificial lake, some bridges and islands, a cascade, a dry garden and a space for meditation were created. The most known bridge is an arched red bridge that leads to the Gods Island. Other attractions are a Monument to the Japanese Immigrant, homage to the founding community, and the Campanile of the Worldwide Peace, which bell is ringed every year on the celebration of the International Day of Peace.
Cascade
Campanile of the Worldwide Peace
In the Garden there is an arboretum where bonsais are sold along with some species of Japanese plants. There are also a house of tea, a restaurant and a library.
In its official website we can access the cultural and educative schedule and see if it is happening some exposition or activity, always tied with the Japanese culture. These days, during the winter vacations in Argentina, there are several activities for children as lessons of origami and film projection of Japanese animations.
The Japanese Garden is open every day, from 10am to 6pm.
Hungry carps
Heron in the lake
Where?
At the intersection of the Figueroa Alcorta and Casares Avenues | Tel: +54 (11) 4804-4922 / 4804-9141
sepphora | 9:30 am | Palermo | “0 Comments”
El Rosedal is a rose garden in the middle of Bosques de Palermo (Palermo Woods). It has an area of 34000 m² where the roses are distributed according to the color harmony and contrast. More than 12000 roses blossom there every spring, in a profusion of colors and aromas. There are 1.189 species of roses catalogued in alphanumerically order; amongst them new species are represented as well as gorgeous and exotic units.
El Rosedal was created in the year of 1914, when the Dirección General de Paseos Públicos of Buenos Aires decided to be necessary to create a stroll as an exponent of good taste and culture and at the same time could represent the progress of the city.
It has two accesses, one of them a wooden white bridge over one of the lakes of the park, built in 1914 by the engineer Benito Carrasco. The Greek architecture of the bridge is decorated with plants and flowers. El Rosedal has other attractions: El Jardín de los poetas (The Poet’s Garden), decorated with busts of important writers of different countries; El Patio Andaluz, built in 1929 and offered as a gift from Sevilla to Buenos Aires; La Glorieta, an elegant gallery of Greek style at one side of the lake, covered by climbing plants and roses, with mosaic floor and staircases distributed systematically by the way, reaching a sculpture called Ofrenda Floral a Sarmiento, by Emile Peynot.
El Rosedal is open for public visitation everyday but Mondays:
- Summer: 8am to 8pm
- Winter: 9am to 6pm
More information here (in Spanish).
Access bridge of the Rosedal
Where?
Parque Tres de Febrero - Bosques de Palermo | Av. Adolfo Berro between Av. Sarmiento and Av. Casares | Tel: +54 (11) 4800-1135
sepphora | 12:34 pm | Palermo | “0 Comments”
The Planetario Galileu Galilei (Galileu Galilei Planetary) of Buenos Aires is located at the Parque Tres de Febrero, more known as Bosques de Palermo.
The construction of its Futurist architecture started in 1962 and was directed by the Argentinean architect Enrique Jan. Its shape represents the planet Saturn silhouette, besides it also reminds a big UFO with the mission of taking away all its visitors to discovery journeys into space.
The building has 5 stages being the last one a room of 20-meter diameter with 360 reclinable chairs for the dome’s observation, which is internally covered by aluminum plates and works as a big screen. On it we can see projected the Moon, the Sun, the visible planets and 8900 stars, constellations and nebulas.
On the first floor there is a museum where we can see exposed a Moon rock brought to Earth by the Apollo XI Mission, a gift given by the president of USA Richard Nixon. There are also three meteorites exposed, all found on the region called “Campo del Cielo” (field of the sky or heaven), North of Argentina, as a result of a meteorite rain occurred 4000 years ago, caused by a small asteroid of 8 to 10-meter diameter which hit against the Earth atmosphere and splitted into fragments that caused several craters when they fell over this region.
You can find more information about the functions and activities as free courses, Science afternoons, telescopic observations, conferences, etc. at the Planetary official website. It is another great place of Buenos Aires offering accessible culture and knowledge to all the visitors.
Where?
Parque Tres de Febrero - Bosques de Palermo | Av. Sarmiento e Figueroa Alcorta | Tel: +54 (11) 4771-9393 / 4771-6629
sepphora | 12:20 am | Palermo | “0 Comments”
Giuseppe Garibaldi Monument
Plaza Italia is a small square on Palermo district, next to the Jardín Zoológico, Jardín Botánico, Subte, Sociedad Rural Argentina, bus stops and Parques de Palermo. It is on Santa Fe Avenue, on a central island of a traffic circle that also receives the Las Heras Avenue and Sarmiento Avenue. Its surrounding is very crowded, but the square seems to be only a walking way to thousands of hurried people.
The monument of the Plaza Italia was a donation of the Italian residents to the city of Buenos Aires, inaugurated on June 19, 1904. It was made by the Italian sculptor Eugenio Maccagnani as a replica of the one located in Brescia, Italy. It shows Giuseppe Garibaldi over his horse, with his sword pointing towards the sky, as the legendary “hero” figure. On each side below the horse, there is a statue (3,5 meters high), representing the Victory and Freedom.
In the center, below the horse, there is a stepped relief in bronze poured in Rome, representing the “San Antonio de Salto Battle“: In February 8, 1846, Garibaldi was fighting for Montevideo, Uruguay, for the Italian flag, and won an army with much more soldiers. The composition shows the hero on the center and two clusters of soldiers on each side. The scenery’s border is done by a village where the legionaries were hidden and by the tall palm trees of the region. The drama shown highlights the battle.
San Antonio de Salto Battle relief
Garibaldi (1807-1882) is considered to be the biggest Italian hero. A militar and political leader who helped the independency process of Uruguay, battled on the “Guerra dos Farrapos” (Brazil), fought for the Italian unification against the Austrian army as well as for the Second War for the Independecy of Italy, also defended France on the Franco-prussian war. His dedication to the battles made him world wide famous, and several monuments, besides this one at Plaza Italia, can be seen in places like New York/USA, Taganrog/Russia, Budapeste /Hungary, Porto Alegre/Brazil and in several Italian cities.
Where?
Intersection of Santa Fe, Las Heras and Sarmiento Avenues
sepphora | 5:32 pm | Palermo | “0 Comments”
Inside the Botanical Garden of Buenos Aires, besides the vegetation and many stray cats, there are several sculptures and I think the most interesting is the one called “Saturnalia”. It’s a sculpture made in bronze extremely expressive that shows a group of persons who seem to be alive. Photographing it from different angles new details seem to emerge at the same time others are hidden.
According to an explanation sign next to the sculpture:
“It represents the annual Saturnal Party realized in honor of the god Saturn.
It acquires the qualities of a non-stoppable orgy of the ancient Romans. This Classic Style sculpture apports a realism, but for its thematic value, it shows the virility of the soldier’s souls with brutal bodies.
It also shows the vitality and tenderness of the bodies that could find all the expression on its central figures.
The female figures are slender, happy and voluptuous, making one group that shows a live and relaxed movement.”
Still on this sign, we can read:
“During the Militar Dictatorship, this sculpture and others were forbidden, taken away to stables and covered with dung. When Democracy returned, it was rescued and put inside this Botanical Garden, in 1984.”
The subject of the sculpture is the Saturnalia Party, celebrated by the ancient Romans on December 17th. Due to its great popularity, with the years, it became a whole week celebration. It was marked by tomfoolery and reversal of social roles, in which slaves and masters ostensibly switched places. Everything was allowed, but the work and the seriousness of the regular days: gambling was allowed in public, slaves were released from work and informal clothes were used. Drinking, noise and games and dice, singing naked, clapping of frenzied hands… It was also an opportunity to visit friends and to give gifts. The Saturnalia celebration continued till the middle of the fourth century, when it was absorbed in the celebration of Christmas.
This sculpture generated controversy since it was created by the Italian sculptor Ernesto Biondi (1855-1917). In 1905, Biondi sued the Metropolitan Museum of Art for failure to exhibit it, while The Museum argued that Saturnalia was removed from public exhibition in consequence of hostile criticism. It was recognized that the sculpture was a great work of art, with qualities of a very realistic kind, but it was considered “indecent”, “revolting”, “horrible”, “immoral” among other degrading qualities.
The “Saturnalia” of Buenos Aires is only a reproduction of the original which is at the Museum of Modern Art, in Rome. In my opinion, this sculpture is very rich and make us think about all the aspects of the human nature, how would we be without the boundaries of society/government and with the years, how things are understood differently…
Where?
Jardín Botánico | Av. Santa Fé 3951 | Tel: +54 (11) 4831-4527
sepphora | 3:58 pm | Palermo | “0 Comments”
Club de Pescadores
Before traveling to a new place, I like to take a look on it through Google Earth. There I saw for the first time this “pretty little house”. Something on it got my attention, perhaps the architecture, or the fact that it is over waters, or its toyish appearance, I don´t know… Being at Buenos Aires, this was one of the places I had to visit.
We could only visit it on the second time we came to the city, when we went for a walk to see it. We found out that the “pretty little house”, or Club de Pescadores (Fishermen’s Club) is a National Historic Monument.
Club de Pescadores
Its history tell us (briefly) that in the year of 1903 there were an old and abandoned pier over the Rio de la Plata (Silver River) waters, built by a French company who used it to tie up their coal boats. From there the coal was discharged into railway wagons and would go till Retiro’s Station. This abandoned pier were a meeting place of some fishermen and they decided to repair it and to build a “little house” to store their belongings.
However, in August 1905 the pier was completely destroyed by a violent torment over the Rio de la Plata. This didn’t discourage the fishermen, and they continued their activities and fishing competitions at the local. In 1928, with the project of Jose N. Quartino, begun the construction of a new pier and a new house which would be the club’s official headquarters. The construction was inaugurated in 1937, with the presence of the president of Argentina, Augustín P. Justo. Today, the building looks just like as it was in its great opening day. You can read (in Spanish) its more detailed history at the official website of the club.
Inside the house there is a photographic museum of its history, and a restaurant at the first stage called “Muelle del Plata” (Silver’s Dock), which we had the pleasure of having lunch that day. The food was very good and the service was great! Because we had gone for a walk, we got there before noon and the restaurant was still closed, but it didn’t matter and we were exclusively served! 
We really liked the waiter, who started a conversation about Brazil and was very friendly. It was a very pleasant experience to have lunch in the “pretty little house”, to be well attended and have the Silver River’s view in a beautiful sunny day.
Muelle del Plata restaurant’s view
Where?
Av. Rafael Obligado s/Nº y Av. Sarmiento Costanera Norte | Tel: +54 (11) 4773-1354 / 0649 / 3636
sepphora | 10:02 am | Costanera, National Historic Monument, Palermo | “1 Comment”
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