Javier Villa at the Ambassador's Residence

Argentine Curator Javier Villa, was the first beneficiary of the Bridges Programme fellowship 2022, which involves the Delfina Foundation, the Embassy of Argentina in the United Kingdom, and the Anglo-Argentine Society.

Mr Villa, a curator at Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Buenos Aires (MAMBA), was selected among more than 50 nominees proposed by Argentine and international institutions, gallerists, and art practitioners, to attend a curatorial residence at the prestigious art foundation, for five weeks, between August and September 2022.

The Bridges Programme, was commissioned by the Embassy of Argentina to cultural strategist and founder of MERIDIANO – Cámara Argentina de Galerías de Arte- Camila Charask, who researched the art exchange between the UK and Argentina, with the aim to increasing it in the future.

A series of Milongas organised by tango producer Luciano Brizzi and the Anglo-Argentine Society, taking place at the beautiful Ambassador’s Residence in Belgrave Square, have been and continue to be the source of fundraising for this fellowship.

On his return to Argentina, Javier Villa said:

“Delfina Foundation is an amazing institution that allowed me to meet colleagues at institutions such as The British Museum, The Natural History Museum, The Wellcome Collection, Tate Modern and Whitechapel, amongst others high level art organisations.

Delfina Foundation organised me meetings, public presentations of my work and nowadays, after coming back to Argentina, they continue to follow up with the institutions that got interested in my research, to keep on strengthening this links.

The presence of Argentinian art and culture inside British institutions is almost null, and this situation is an opportunity to make a future appearance in their agendas with a professional and strong scope, as art centres and museums -in their global quest- are interested in pushing new ideas and cultural identities that still haven’t reached the UK.

In this sense, the collaboration between Delfina Foundation and The Anglo Argentine Society with the support of the Argentinian Embassy, and the strategic coordination of Camila Charask – director of DeCaunsil – is an invaluable group effort that is already bearing its first fruits and, most importantly, is growing further”.

Regarding the experience details at the residence, Villa Added:
“Delfina has eight residents simultaneously, which also enabled me to create stable bonds with incredible professionals from Hong Kong, Greece, India, Canada, Saudi Arabia and the US, with whom I shared my time and programme there. At the same time, I was able to present the curatorial practice that I have been doing for the last 9 years at Museo de Arte Moderno de Buenos Aires, and I’m already talking to two different institutions in London to create partnerships for producing exhibitions that could travel from Buenos Aires to London in 2023 and 2024”.

It looks like this first experience has been a great success. A second one is already being developed, this time for February/March 2023, and with a longer stay at Delfina Foundation.

Here, what Delfina Foundation published while Javier was in residence:

https://www.delfinafoundation.com/?s=javier+villa

If you would like to donate to the Anglo-Argentine Society solidarity projects in Argentina and to this programme, please contact us: info@angloargentinesociety.co.uk.

The milongas dates are shared in our emails and social media.

Fátima Nollén-Reardon

Chairwoman

The Anglo-Argentine Society

Reg Charity 208002

 

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