By Roberto Vega Andersen In the rain of themes that arrive daily, some gain prominence and remain longer revolving around us. For example, these days the issue of Artificial Intelligence (AI) was installed there and especially the OpenAI ChatGPT launched on March 14 in a greatly improved version. His ability to create human language is surprising and has been a topic addressed by numerous local and international media. The first call for attention from the most severe analysts focuses on its free being a program developed by private investors and with enormous economic capacity, such as Microsoft and Google. When will the monetary blow come and how intense will we feel it on our Achilles heel? In addition, it is possible to understand that this predictive program has its origin in the information gathered about each one of us. While we interact on telephones or computers, we are delivering behaviors, secrets, moral guidelines, our humor... everything is stored in that enormous "cupboard" and suddenly, with ChatGPT the algorithms create the most comfortable responses to our ears -it has already passed Law and Medicine exams in the United States and Spain- and with a memory that obviously exceeds the human capacity to surprise humans. But, as the saying goes, "when the handout is great, even the saint distrusts", and the most pressing fear invades us when we wonder when the moment will come when these technology companies will be able to guide the future through their responses. predictive. And there are more novelties... as was proclaimed in the past. Also days ago the launch of devices like MidJourney and DALL-E (and there are more) facilitate the creation of new visual content. We will have been surprised by the false image of Pope Francis wearing a white feathered jacket... These tools advance the creation of images formed from stored memory, but the results are stinging. There are already governments concerned about this generation of generative Artificial Intelligence and even the managers of these initiatives, such as Elon Musk, among other experts, who have come to argue that Artificial Intelligence could even lead "to the destruction of civilization". All of them signed a letter calling for a six-month pause on the idea of developing protocols to regulate these tools. The risks are not minor and their evolution will affect us all... Where are we headed? How to set limits and regulate its use and development? A new "war" has begun and we insist, we will all be immersed in it. From our vantage point this time we bring you the voices of Irina Podgorny, Abel Alexander, Daniel Schavelzon, Germán Carvajal, Norberto Pablo Cirio; all of them, prominent references in their cultural work spaces and regular collaborators of Hilario, and from Belgium, Joran Proot. Enjoy them!
April 2023
Editorial
Fossil horses of the Argentine pampas
By Irina Podgorny *«In 1875, Hermann Burmeister (1807-1892), former professor of zoology at the University of Halle and, since 1862, director of the Public Museum of the Province of Buenos Aires, published Los caballos fossils de la Pampa Argentina, a work printed by government order. It was intended to be displayed at the World's Fair in Philadelphia, an event that would take place between May 10 and November 10, 1876 to commemorate the centennial of the American declaration of independence." The German scientist had decided to edit this publication so that those attending the exhibition could discover one of the most "curious" specimens of the extinct fauna of South America.
A photographic collection about Máksim Litvínov, the man who avoided world wars
By Daniel Schávelzon *«Buenos Aires is a huge Pandora's Box that always surprises us; for example, this time it does so with the striking collection of photographs taken by international photojournalists of one of the great figures of European history in the decades from 1920 to 1950.» The look of this notable specialist in urban archaeology, author of fifty books, places us before a collection of photographic records with the Russian diplomat as the protagonist. Its history is part of universal history and as Schávelzon maintains, "when time passes, memories fray, fade and only the great moments remain" and its most outstanding personalities, the second lines being a subject of interest for specialists, historians and curious about the past...
Circulation of Argentine and Uruguayan loose-leaf literature in the gaucho and Afro-descendant spheres from performance theory
By Norberto Pablo Cirio *«The academy understands by string or blind literature -among other equivalent terms- texts printed in loose sheets, pamphlets and small books that blind people, fairground vendors, traveling musicians or mendicants in Spain and, due to its colonization, in Latin America, sold in public space as a way of life, if not subsistence, until well into the 20th century. Its thematic range is wide: from (...)
Félix Pitré. Photographer and painter in Buenos Aires
By Abel Alexander *Specialist in the history of Argentine photography, its author rescues «the forgotten figure of Félix Pitré (also identified as Félix N. Pitré) of whom little or nothing is known, although we must point out that it was precisely the Italian professionals who dominated the photographic scene Argentine in the period between 1880 and about 1920 and, of course, Félix Pitré was part of this majority contingent». Photographer and painter, Pitré's work acquires a new dimension when learning about part of his biography, barely documented up to now.
Colon Theater. Textile advice to the Master Plan of the Teatro Colón. 2006-2008
By Germán Carvajal *Architect, university professor and founding member of DarA (Associated Argentine Decorators), Germán Carvajal Casteran brings us a hitherto unpublished report on the renovation of the textiles of the Teatro Colón, a topic that in its time generated a fiery controversy. The restoration of this colossal monument of theatrical and lyrical art, one of the most qualified in the world, knew how to navigate a real sea of storms. Let's enjoy here the details and anecdotes that accompanied this vivacious odyssey, sealed with a happy ending.
Misterios. Ritualidad y estética en los Andes.
Sergio Barbieri. Buenos Aires. Author's edition. 2023.
In minor 4th (21 x 20.8cm), 95 pp. Paperback publisher binding.
Professor of Fine Arts and photographer, Sergio Barbieri (1944) introduces us to a topic rarely addressed in Argentine folklore, the "mysteries", enriched with a preliminary study signed by the anthropologist Lucila Bugallo, which begins like this: «In the region In the Andes, human beings are related through rituals with the space, the environment, the beings and with the entities that inhabit there. These are diverse and occur, in the form of dialogues, between those who make the offering and the powerful beings who receive it”.
Testimonials of Identity. Collazo Collection.
Catalog of the homonymous exhibition. Las Lilas de Areco Museum - Pucará Productions. 2023. In minor 4th (21 x 21 cm), 154 pages. Publisher's paperback binding. We welcome the publication of good catalogs with great interest; the exhibitions pass and these works remain and are of permanent consultation. The Las Lilas Museum in San Antonio de Areco has done so on numerous occasions and on this occasion, with the merit of having presented it on the opening night of the reference exhibition.
The Creole Knife. A journey through its multiple expressions.
Catalog of the homonymous exhibition. Text: Second Deferrari. Investigation: Luciana Falibene and Segundo Deferrari. Photography: Susana Sobot and S. Deferrari. Las Lilas de Areco Museum - Pucará Productions. 2023. In minor 4th (21 x 21 cm), 203 pages. Paperback publisher binding. The exhibition, held at the end of 2022, finally received the catalog that transcends it and is even enriched by the collected texts and the inclusion of a greater number of pieces than those exhibited in the Arequero Museum. Undoubtedly, a "sample book" to consult from here on, analyzing typologies, styles and even achievements of the different silversmiths through the ages, since in an unusual percentage, the works had their hallmark of authorship.
10th National Meeting of Silversmiths, in homage to the Master Goldsmith Armando Ferreira.
By Roberto Vega AndersenFrom Friday April 14 to Sunday the 16th, the city of Olavarría "dressed" in chisels in homage to the master Armando Ferreira. The rooms of the Dámaso Arce Museum received the 10th National Meeting in a camaraderie atmosphere that speaks of the vitality of the trade in our country. Invited to be part of this meeting-tribute, the director of Hilario wrote these words still sensitized by the atmosphere of respect, gratitude and camaraderie that was lived in these three days.
Farewell to Doctor Héctor César Gotta, true master of photographic heritage
By Abel Alexander"His death caused immense pain," confesses a fellow traveler of Dr. Gotta, author of this portrait that shows us his passion and human quality. Driven by a strong will and commitment to rescue his heritage, "his collection of vintage works of his grew remarkably to form one of the best photographic collections in the country, especially linked to the second half of the 19th century." «From the first moment -Alexander indicates- his valuable collection was generously available to any research project or historical publication. It was de rigueur to consult his large photographic library ».
Culture Fonds Library (Dilbeek, Belgium) and the Plantiniana Office
By Dr. Joran Proot *"At the initiative of its honorary president, Baron Piet Van Waeyenberge, the investment company De Eik has developed an important collection of rare books and manuscripts," with an incomparable selection of titles produced by the Officina Plantiniana, one of the most renowned printing presses whose creator was Christophe Plantin back in 1549 in Antwerp. This brief review introduces us to the alma mater of the Belgian library, which possesses such a bibliographic treasure, Baron Van Waeyenberge (1938), a distinguished personality by the Republic of Paraguay with the National Order of Merit for his services rendered to that nation. «Although the collection remains in private hands - warns its curator, Joran Proot -, the Biblioteca Cultura Fonds welcomes researchers and the public interested in seeking to illuminate, disseminate and value its heritage for society in general.
Testimonials of Identity. Collazo Collection. At the Las Lilas Museum in San Antonio de Areco.
By Roberto Vega Andersen *This time the museum surprises us with an original staging of the Collazo collection, formed especially by three areas of interest, all referring to silverware: viceregal, Creole and indigenous, including as such the pieces used in the ethnographic complex " pampa” and araucano. In the catalog that accompanies the exhibition, Oscar Collazo tells that his «collection began with a gift that my grandmother gave me: an incense burner that his great-great-grandfather had ordered to be made with Martínez [...]
Correo de lectores
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14 Comentario(s)
Maria Marta Suárez
Muy interesante
Ezequiel Abásolo
(Académico de Número de la Academia Nacional de la Historia de la Rep. Argentina)
Estimado, todos los números de Hilario son buenos... Pero con éste, se pasaron! ¡Felicitaciones!
Gustavo Kagel
Felicitaciones Roberto, muy buenos articulos
Diego Eduardo Perazzo
Excelente. Como siempre.
Fernando Barba
(Académico de Número de la Academia Nacional de la Historia de la Rep. Argentina)
Roberto, como siempre fáciles de leer y enterarse de temas prácticamente muy poco tratados, saludos
Alberto Bellucci
(Académico de Número de la Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes. Rep. Argentina)
Felicitaciones por el nuevo número, veo que tiene artículos muy diversos e interesantes que leeré detenidamente.
Gracias y abrazo.
Mauro Herlitzka
(Coleccionista de arte; Fundador de la Fundación Espigas, Director de la Galería Herlitzka + Faría y entre otras actividades, miembro de la Asociación Latinoamericana Fondo de Adquisición de la Tate Modern (Londres) y miembro del Consejo Internacional del Museo de Arte Moderno de Nueva York, MOMA) Muchísimas gracias, son interesantísimos los artículos de Hilario! Felicitaciones pues es un gran esfuerzo. Cordialmente, M.H.
Juan Carlos Borra
(Miembro Ejecutivo de la Sociedad Iberoamericana de Historia de la Fotografía) Estimados: Es realmente un privilegio en este mundo convulsionado y con valores morales y espirituales en franca crisis, que en un país roto como el nuestro, haya gente que produzca esta maravillosa revista digital. Su comentario editorial de este número es de gran actualidad y, a mi modo de ver, comenta temas cruciales que, tal vez, sean una bisagra en muchos aspectos, algunos de los cuales me preocupan particularmente. Vega Andersen ha logrado construir una ágil, profunda y muy bien diseñada publicación en la que aportan medulosos conocimientos destacados personajes de nuestra cultura. En los momentos que nos está tocando pasar es casi un milagro. El colega Carvajal asombra por su responsabilidad y conocimientos, al igual que Podgorny, el amigo Schávelson y Cirio. Párrafo aparte el trabajo de Abel Alexander sobre el rescate del, para mí, desconocido Pitré. En estos momentos oscuros, este producto tiene un reconfortante estímulo que hace pensar que no todo está perdido. Muy apropiada la nota sobre el Dr. Gotta, respetado y generoso impulsor de la conservación del patrimonio cultural argentino. Una enorme pérdida.
Enrique kagel
Excelentes notas todas !!!
Carlos Ferrari
Con gusto les comento el agrado que me causa vizualizar, todavía a vuelo de pájaro, el excelente boletin que nos acercan. Pero quiero destacar ademas el excelente editorial del Sr. Vega Andersen sobre el tan mentado Chat GPT, donde con fina ironia nos comenta y alerta sobre los pro y contras de "tan maravillosa" herramienta. ..
Marcelo Olmos
(Académico Delegado en Entre Ríos, Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes, autor de la obra "Paraná: Arte y Sociedad (1730 - 1940)", 2022) Excelente, muy buenos artículos tanto por el contenido como por la solvencia de sus autores.
Manuel Jose Blasco
(Arquitecto, socio del Estudio Blasco - Oliva) Realmente un acierto en cuanto a contenidos tan variados .
Leonor Calvó
(Académica Delegada en la Provincia de Jujuy. Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes) Estimados: Disfruté la lectura de los artículos publicados en este número. Gracias.
Dr. Norberto Frigerio
(Director de Relaciones Institucionales. La Nación S. A.) Estimado Roberto: Expresamente me pidió el Dr. Julio Saguier que le hiciera llegar en su nombre y representación estas líneas. Con profunda alegría recibimos esta nueva publicación digital referida a las artes, letras y oficios “Hilario”. Bienvenidos al mundo online, puerta inexorable y cierta para ver el futuro y todos los cambios que se aproximan. Con detenimientos recorrí Hilario, sus páginas, plenas de buenas imágenes, textos muy bien escritos, y ya con 6000 suscriptores expresan inequívocamente que están sembrando en buena tierra. Por cierto reconocemos, que trabajar sobre las letras, y las artes así como los oficios, con fuerte identidad nacional expresan lo más profundo de nuestra cultura nacional. Es justamente, en coincidencia con usted, lo que se encuentra en el ADN de LA NACION desde hace más de 153 años. Celebramos profundamente, todo aquello que ayuda a nuestros ciudadanos a conocer mejor su identidad, sus raíces así como sus orígenes. Con deseos de éxitos, acepte el testimonio de amistad y buenos sucesos, ante tan valioso esfuerzo, Muy amigablemente, Dr. Norberto Frigerio