Mariana Telleria, elected: the Venice Biennale already has an Argentinean representative

In the Golden Hall of San Martin Palace, everything is golden. It sounds obvious, but this interior architecture dazzles you. We are at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, in the Retiro district of Buenos Aires, waiting for the authorities to announce who is the artist who will represent the country at the Venice Biennale, the world summit of the Contemporary art to be held between May and November 2019.

This was no longer an edition. Something special and authentic has entered the selection: since 1901, it was the first time that the contest had an open character. This is how a jury composed of the director of the National Museum of Fine Arts Andrés Dupratthe doctor Laura Malosetti Costa of the National Academy of Fine Arts, the visual artist Jorge Macchi and the ad honorem advisory council of the Cultural Affairs Directorate, consisting of Teresa Anchorena, Eleonora Jaureguiberry, Adriana Rosenberg, Mauro Herlitzka and Esteban Tedesco They delivered their verdict.

In front of a small but attentive public, the Secretary of Culture of the Nation took the floor Pablo Avelluto, the vice-chancellor spoke Daniel Raimondi, the director of cultural affairs Sergio Baur -The last two presided over the jury- and finally it was announced: the chosen artist is Mariana Telleria; and the curator, Florence Battiti. Applause

-Hi. Oh, it works, "said Telleria, looking at the microphone Good night, I do not know what to say …

The 39-year-old artist born in Rufino, in the province of Santa Fe, who will exhibit at the Pavilion of Argentina in the arsenals of the city of Venice, does not have the habit of make speeches in public. He thanked his family, his colleagues, for public education. It was brief. He needed more: those who must speak are their works. Is not that what an artist does? Work, create and exhibit. There, in the artistic product shaped by his ingenuity, everything is in abundance.

But what will be exhibited at the big international biennale? "It's unpronounceable in words, we can say that it will condense the last ten years of his work with objects," says Battiti.

The two women, one in black, the other in white, are sitting at the end of the table. The concerned public asks. They respond to an idea because precisely what was selected was a project. It must still become a job. "She manages to say things to things they have not said yet," adds the curator.

For her part, Telleria gives details: "There are seven sculptures which articulate my way of seeing reality and all that I have built so far, it is the most sincere thing that I do in life, beyond meeting with my friends to have a good time, "he said, adding," I talk a lot about the use of things, waste. "" I do not believe in meritocracy , all is not talent and strength, I am a person who was very lucky, "he said later.

The title of the work? The name of a country, the same one he used for his first solo show in 2009. As if the words – which country? Argentina? – will not reach.

-What does the Venice Biennale mean to you?

-When I come back I'll be able to tell you better – Said Telleria to Infobae Cultura, already more indifferent, and laughs. Like a wait … everything, the best. It is a pride to work, to make efforts, to be lucky and to be able to share time with incredible artists. It's also a giant and uncertain opportunity because I know what can happen.

– Is it a legitimacy to arrive here? Did you see Venice when you started doing art?

"It's crazy because my gesture is done little by little. It's not that he said, "Well, now that I've shown to Castagnino, I'm going …" I'm not waiting for my career. I am very calm Legitimation? It's about changing space, as simple as that. A new space, yes: it has an impressive symbolic charge. But what I will do with the same commitment that I took in 2003 at Castagnino, with the same quality of work.

-The last: do you think that art is a way to convey a message, a social and ideological fact?

"All I say is poor, poor talk, but I think any art is political, even if we do not have our heads down." All art is to conflict something: to make politics. I'm not interested in talking about the reality of this country, not this one. Public education does not appear in my work, for example, but I actually appear in a public university. If it is political, then yes, I do politics, or better: political interpretations.

By his side, Florence Battiti -Professor and art critic trained at the University of Buenos Aires- said to infobae culture that the Venice Biennale "is a platform to which Mariana will present itself, this will definitely change her career, she has produced for ten years in this part of the world: Buenos Aires, Rosario and the surrounding areas. is an opportunity to be seen by historians and art critics from around the world, because here we do not have this stained glbad level in Venice, it already has a stature for to be able to compete with all the artists present.

"This is a way to make the work dialogue with other leaders," adds the commissioner who, in addition to being at the forefront of ArteBA Focus twice, is the artistic coordinator of Memory Park for almost twenty years.

"Lucky who lives in an interesting time" is the motto chosen by the Conservative General, Ralph Rugoff, to make it work like leitmotiv of the whole Venice Biennale. Are they really interesting moments? What can contemporary art contribute to when thinking about the world, the present, our links?

Some time ago, on the website of Ruth Benzacar Gallery, where he usually exhibits, he left a kind of manifesto. Telleria presents herself – year and place of birth -, tells that she studied fine arts at the National University of Rosario but that she never finished and, after some speculation, she says: "All that I do it is true, I do not speak. I can say that it never reaches what is happening, so I do not want to name it. "A request for silence in the era of hypercommunication?

He concludes this text as follows: "To speak is a more delicate mockery than to do it and, fortunately, I think I have not done enough". We will have to wait then and not lose ourselves in the speculative discussions. We will have to see his works, browse them, feel them and wait to see the seven sculptures that will be in Venice for seven months: The name of a country. L & # 39; Argentina? Sometimes the words fail.