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VOX arte + literatura (VOX art + literature) was first edited in
1995. This is part of the cultural management undertaken by the
Senda Foundation in 1981. This publication aims at providing care
and dedication to the content, as much as to the design of the subject
matter, for the supports in different formats and styles.
In 1999 a group of artists and writers who work around the magazine
launched an exhibition and meeting space in an old butcher shop.
It was fitted with lights, precariously conditioned and enlarged
some time later. In a short while it became a production center
and a regional cultural meeting place where a large number of shows
and literary meetings take place.
In 1999 the first editions of VOX poetry book collection come out.
14 titles have been published so far.
The first number of VOX virtual magazine was published in 2001 in
digital format and emailed free of charge.
VOX is basically a meeting space for cultural production and management
that works on the following proposals:
Plastic Arts
The space is made up by two show rooms that host from 6 to 8 exhibitions
per year in every media.
A group of plastic artists coordinate and select the proposals,
and work on the conditions to invite well-known artist from the
rest of the country. They organize theory and teaching activities
and promote the work of regional upcoming artists.
Literature
Meetings, workshops, awards and poetry readings are held. Regional
writers of different generations and different aesthetic intentions
take part; many of them are published as part of the editorial project,
or write reviews and articles for the magazines.
Editorial Work
The following editions are published:
VOX magazine on paper – two issues a year.
VOX virtual magazine – digital sent by email, twelve issues
a year.
Poetry collection VOX editions.
Catalogues and posters for the shows and activities.
Low numbered editions of the Object book collection.
Weekly digital infoVOX edition – a cultural activities guide.
Music
An average of two concerts of different musical genre a month are
held in the space, although the habit of holding parties with two
or three rock bands has sprung lately. This activity has brought
about some problems with the neighbours, so that the frequency and
the hours have been cut short.
Theatre
Shows are taken down on Saturday and Sunday evening and the space
becomes a theatre auditorium where the self-supporting group Chaos
plays El Vuelo del Dragón (The Flying of the Dragon), directed
by Javier Daulte.
Popular Contemporary Art and Literature Library
The great exchange of material with other publications and activities,
plus donations of the members of the project, gave rise to a library
that is being consulted by the art and literature students of the
city. A senior student of library studies is currently classifying
and organizing this activity.
Cultural Project for the training of readers and public interested
in contemporary cultural actions
The cultural management launched by the Vox space in the last few
years was basically meant to make known to city artists and writers
the different contemporary tendencies and aesthetic languages, for
local productions to establish a simultaneous up to date link with
those of the rest of the country.
The results of these actions have been evaluated, and the outcome
of what has been achieved and of its subsequent circulation is positive.
At the same time, the perception and approach of the public and
readers to these productions has been checked. The numbers of people
involved does not rise. Neither does the number of visitors to the
local Museum of Contemporary Art where, once the openings are over,
few people go.
So we organized guided tours to the shows and we went to schools
to give talks and short seminars, when requested by the teachers.
Throughout this experience we learnt that both pupils and teachers
lacked the basic information that would allow them to hold a dialogue
on these aesthetics, and consequently lost interest, saying that
they were unintelligible or difficult to decode, or even superficial
or rude. Little by little some of the pupils came to us to look
up material in our library, to borrow contemporary poetry books
in particular and to take part in the guided tours.
On these occasions, the explanations and concepts that came up naturally,
due to the pupils’ eagerness to understand, were instrumental
in a change of attitude towards the perception of the work.
A holistic program to train the general public to cultural actions
is being planned as follows:
1 A schedule of guided tours to the shows, exchange of
concepts with artists and authors.
2 To sign agreements between the Senda Foundation and schools
to give a series of talks free of charge at the schools, since
distances and the administrative formalities necessary to allow
pupils to leave the classroom make it impractical for them to
do so.
3 Workshops and seminars on contemporary art and literature
free of charge for teachers, since they are not well informed
on the subject matter and up to date concepts which are part of
the schools curricula.
4 Printing of small low cost anthologies of work by contemporary
local authors to be read in the classroom, with guides for practical
work to be done in the classroom.
5 To buy didactic material for the VOX library to be consulted
for these actions.
6 An annual monographs contest on different subjects related
to artistic production.
7 Special classes with artists and writers who attend the
Senda Cultural Center regularly.
Gustavo Darío López. Born in Bahía
Blanca on December 28, 1959
Secondary school at the E.N.E.T N™1; studied Literature at the South
National University
Cultural Management
Since 1982 he has worked at the Senda Cultural Foundation as vice
president and general coordinator for cultural affairs (see annex)
In 1999 he founded Cultural Vox Centre in Bahia Blanca, which he
chairs (see annex)
Since 2001 he is member of the faculty body of the Escuela Normal
Superior Vicente Fatone at the South National University. He teaches
Cultural Management and Journalism applied to cultural matters.
In 2000 and in 2001 he organized cultural events at the Bahía
Blanca Workers Coop Cultural Center.
2000 – 2001 y 2002 in charge of the analysis and publication
of poetry supported by the Antorchas Foundation Award for Writers
from Bahía Blanca and Patagonia.
Editorial Work
1982 Founds and edits SENDA (Path) magazine (32 editions from 1982
to 1991) and SENDA LITERARIA (Literary Path).
1984 Founds the SENDA publishing house where more that 50 poetry,
narrative and essay books by national and foreign authors have been
published.
1990 –The Senda magazine staff and himself create the Senda
Foundation to carry out cultural activities. It is still going strong.
1995 – Founds and directs VOX magazine-cum-object and the VOX
poetry book edition (this publication has been awarded the following
prizes: 1999 best art publication by the Argentine Art Critics Association
– 2000, Julio Cortazar Award by the Argentine Book Chamber
– 2000 Selected by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs to
represent Argentina in the 2000 celebrations -
2001 – member of the editorial committee of Voxvirtual magazine,
that reaches 4500 subscribers by email, free of charge.
Curator of the following shows:
1983: Francisco Polo, sculpture, solo exhibition, Centro Cultural
Coopesur, Bahía Blanca.
1984: Mabel Lemonnier, María Elena Baccini, Reynaldo Merlino,
paintings, group show, Fine Arts Museum, Bahía Blanca.
1985: Horacio Aphalo, drawings and paintings, solo exhibition, Fine
Arts Museum, Bahía Blanca.
1986: Coloured People Group, Guillermina Prado and César
Montangie, group show, Fine Arts Museum, Bahía Blanca.
1990: Objects and video installation "El Kistch en nuestros
días" (Kitsch in our time), Fine Arts Museum, Bahía
Blanca.
1991: "Las Historietas de Fierro Hoy" (Fierro’s cartoons
today) original cartoons, Fine Arts Museum, Bahía Blanca.
1994 group show, drawing, painting, engraving, sculpture, Pampa
Mar art gallery, Bahía Blanca.
2000 to 2002 all the shows held at the VOX space
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