The same afternoon I went to visit Gardel’s house, I walked this beautiful street up and down several times. Turns out that the museum organized a contest, in 2003-2004, to help rescue Fileteado, which is a type of art representative of the city.
The chosen artists would paint the façade of a few houses located in the Abasto neighborhood. The home owners agreed to leave the art untouched for at least one year. Voilá!
After Caminito, I would say this is the most colorful block I have seen in the city.
After Caminito, I would say this is the most colorful block I have seen in the city.
Things did not stop there. In order to appreciate a work of art, I have to know a little about the artist and the creative process behind the piece. Therefore, I assigned myself the task of learning more about fileteado.
I discovered there is not one person who created it. However, many sources agree the art was first produced by Italian immigrants. Initially, it was used to decorate cars, but with time it extended to buses. Sadly, in 1975, the government significantly restricted the practice. In an effort not to let it disappear, fileteadores extended the use of this technique to objects, advertisement, and even body painting.
Today, fileteado has a strong presence in Buenos Aires. The law restricting its use in buses has been annulled, and the art continues to contribute to the unique identity of the city.
Click on the link for a more detailed history of Fileteado Porteño.
Click here to read about Genovese’s work and its struggle to avoid plagiarism.
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