New Mural to be Painted by the Artist Himself

Carlos Paez Vilaro, the artist and sculptor, will be in Palermo on Friday to present a sketch of a mural to be done on the Medio Mundo tenement, a place rich in Afro-Uruguayan culture. This old boarding house was the site of cultural movements in the 70's until it was destroyed by the city in 1978 during the tumultuous dictatorial period because of its said precarious structure. Could it have been because this house was a politically active place? Maybe, not to mention that blacks living in the center of the city were thought to have a bad effect on real estate and tourism by the authorities. The Medio Mundo boarding house is located on Cuareim 1080 and used to house 54 families. Ironically, the next year it was declared a national monument. The house may have been destroyed, but the candombe thunder could not be silenced. Every drum "call" (a small drum parade is called a "call") symbolized resistence, strength and memory of a difficult past. Go see the unveiling of the outline of the mural at Zelmar Michelini 1080 at 7 o'clock on Friday.

Blast from the Past

What famous people have visited Montevideo? One that comes to mind is Albert Einstein. I found his diary (thanks to Boston University's archives: "The Reception of Relativity in Uruguay") that reveal the inner workings of a curious mind. The observations in the diary are more humorous than I expected. For example, when meeting the Jewish Russian Rosenblatt family he notes that they have three children, 2 who are married and one who has a boyfriend. The great scientist philosopher goes on to say that she's not pretty, but she has "a good heart". He also remarks offhandedly that a building is almost complete. He was referring to the Legislative Palace, one of the most beautiful buildings ever (See above). In general, he says that he found authentic cordiality in Uruguay, a small and happy country. He says the climate is agreeably hot and humid and boasts exemplary social laws: 8-hour workdays, protection for mothers and children, welfare for seniors and illegitimate children, etc.) He remarks how beautiful small countries are because they're not drunk with the delirium of grandeur. To hell with big countries, basically, if they had things their way they would divide all countries amongst themselves. What I like best is the honesty of the man.

Review of "A Bay Fortified"

Last night, the foundation "At the Foot of the Wall" sponsored a viewing of "A Bay Fortified" which shows the ancient strategic point of Isla Gorriti in its present-day state. The filmographer Alejandro Ferrari spent two months filming in the state of Maldonado. During the time of colonization, this island was the gateway to the Rio de la Plata, and thus, the entire Southern cone region.
The fort was built by Guarani Indians who were captured and sent to work on the fort. The Spanish military personnel were exceptional builders, or at least good project managers, as fort-building was one of their most important duties. They armed Isla Gorriti to the teeth. Since the island sits in front of the first natural port to be found south of Florianopolis (Brazil), defense structures were set up to block entrance from either side of the bay. But the biggest ruins are found on the open-ocean side where the cannons with 24-kilo shot could reach the furthest, threatening anything within 2 kilometers away.
The was a nautical gem because of its freshwater resources. Ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean were aware of a "secret" spot where they could fill casks with freshwater while barely getting off the ship. Strategically, the island sits in front of valuable land holdings. Spain stood to incorporate Rio Grande (today, Brazil) into its colonial possessions.
Most people who go to Punta del Este don't realize that the area was secured thanks to a formidable military structure that today is in ruins. They also don't realize that the first whaling company in South America was founded here because no signs, much less a museum, exist. Thanks to Mr. Ferrari, we all know a little bit more.

"Curious Reflections in Montevideo"

(This is not "Diary of a Madman", good as the Ozzy album might be. Start again, this time reading the title literally. You may interpret all titles that follow however you'd like).

* Old Buildings of the Plaza Entrevero on the Banco Santander
* The Palacio Salvo on the Torre Ejecutivo
* Old City Shops on the Ferrando Building
* La Catedral on the Banco Provisional Social

These are modern sleek glass buildings where you can catch the reflections of old buildings. In some cases the building reflected upon the glass is famous, whereas others are simply admirable. It's like looking at an image of Trinity church via a Wall Street moneymaker.

The Wall of the City

As a fort-city or city-fort, Montevideo is full of history as a central point of power from the time of the Spanish colonists to the age of industry. A wall was necessary to protect the city during its gestation period. As time went on, the importance of the wall faded like the limestone rocks themselves, as they were brought from the state of Canelones. Therefore, very little of the original wall remains exposed because it was built upon.

This is not to say that the unexposed parts of the wall do not remain very much intact, as it is not very practical to disassemble a 6-meter thick wall in the process of construction. The process of discovery of the wall goes something like this: the historian Raul Barofio looks at original maps of the city to find the outline of the city. He then determines along what modern streets, more or less, the wall would be found. Then he knocks on the doors of modern businesses so that they might lead him to the basements where he would gaze upon exposed rock. The similitude to the original rock might vary because of painting, cementing or another type of revamping, but the characteristic diagonal cut of the wall is unmistakeable.

Scarp and counterscarp are two words that denote the outer and inner edge of the moat, from the place where earth was mounted and held back with rock, to the inner edge which is symolized by the fort wall that held in the city and people.

A good place to observe the wall is the orange painted lines that represent the outline of the wall. Here are where the architects noted the presence of the wall on their plans. These lines are especially obvious on the Independence Square, under which its western half the ciudadela lies.

Today there is an effort to have the parts that remain of the wall preserved and on display if possible. Every time a new building is demolished we are closer to having this magnificent structure preserved.

Tristan Narvaja: A Grolsch bottle and Windows Vista on a Sunday

Just what is Tristan Narvaja? Who is Tristan Narvaja? Who was Tristan Narvaja? What is it? It's a fairground of the most wonderful junk you could imagine.

Why is well-preserved junk so well received by customers? Because they feel that things from the market are things they belonged to them in another life.

Seriously though the market is an extensive affair, stretched out across both sides of suburban streets, and staked out by vendor's tents. Do you want old postcards and trinkets. Wander this way. What about wrought iron and wood furniture? Puppies? You want'em we have'em. There's even a gentleman who sells old records while blasting mambo from an unseen source.

The most important thing about how a economically weak country makes people so ingenious is that material goods are exploited to the maximum. Where material products are looked at as individuals, as completely interesting objects, they increase in aesthetic value. For a certain car part to reach Tristan Narvaja, someone would have had to salvage it from a wrecked car. Some way or another, all sorts of strange objects reach the market. If these objects could talk, what tales they'd have.

I've seen vendors with collections of old bottles, their labels long torn off, and the strangely-shaped bottles now clean and shiny. A blue Arizona iced tea bottle with the recessed finger indentations looks naked (and beautiful?) once it has reached the market. I don't see Arizona iced tea in the supermarket. How on earth did it cross the earth? Or you can pick up those old Grolsch bottles with the ceramic tops and the rubber seals to use for your oil and vinegar. Pick up an old katana from the fellow over there. Doesn't it make you feel better when you can buy something that already has faced its share of opponents? I'm pretty sure I saw a lighthouse bulb there, too.

Of course, the scope of T.N. really is appreciated when you find things that you find only here. The vendors here dedicate each Sunday at the market because they know that if enough people pass by, they will find at least one person who happens to need the exact shade of lampshade they happen to be selling. It's a strange world that sets up once a week in the Cordon to display all the things you probably don't need.