Was there a political plan to "whiten" the population of Argentina? We Argentines, as quickly clarified that "we are descendants of Europeans" , so quickly would recognize our African roots? What events led to the disappearance of the black race in our population? What role in this process played the War of Paraguay?. These and other issues were explored by the artist during her residence in Buenos Aires. The result is an impressive installation at the Políglota Gallery where Ayanah reflects on the "negritud/blackness" in Argentina, quoting both remote as well as very close events, which raises uncomfortable but necessary to respond questions. AC

EXHIBITION STATEMENT 

                 

My work often develops in response to an existing idea. For this residency, I sought to digitally alter figurative images to generate something new. I wanted to abstract the body, namely the black body, to create new meaning. I was unclear what this new meaning would be. Walking the streets of Buenos Aires, meeting Argentines and reading about the culture, I was struck by how few black people are here. There is a lot of debate regarding the limited presence of Argentines of African decent. Some speak of the role of war (Guerra de la Triple Alianza) of which most of the Argentine frontline soldiers were black men. Others cite relations and intermarrying of single black women with European immigrants. A number of historians claim a racial genocide by the Argentine government. No doubt, a combination of factors led to the sharp reduction of “Afro Argentines” (the black population resulting from the slavery during Spanish domination).

 

This historical complexity made me re-think the black figurative abstraction that started my ‘ace residency. I began to read my shifting black portraits differently. And I started to consider newly learned cultural terms that refer to a complicated Argentine identity: trigueña= olive skin; trigo= wheat-colored skin. I wondered, if many Argentines recognize ancestral Spain or Italy, do any acknowledge an African heritage? Some text in this work references a quote by former Argentine President Carlos Menem, who while on tour in the United States was asked if Argentina had any citizens of African decent. He responded, “No, no we have no blacks. Brazil has that problem.”[1] Other words in this installation recognize Afro Argentine Maria Lamadrid, who in 2001 was challenged by authorities at Ezeiza International Airport because she held an Argentine passport. Lamadrid states, “They told me, this can’t be your passport. There are no blacks in Argentina!”[2] I am curious about these remarks. I interested in the mark of otherness and the politics of sameness in Argentina. These are some of the concepts explored in this work.

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[1] The Menem quote is noted in the 2005 documentary film “Afroargentinos” by Diego H. Ceballos. The film is an examination of the history of Afro-Argentines in Buenos Aires.

 

[2] Ruthie Ackerman, Blacks in Argentina—officially a few, but maybe a million, Chronicle Foreign Service, November 27, 2005