Memorial to the Disappeared

Last weekend between Christmas 2012 and New Year's 2013 Dr. Roger Brunt and his wife, Diane invited us to go shopping with them.  We went to the Unicenter Mall and shopped around, ending up at Falabello, a department store in the mall.  A department store is a rare commodity here in Buenos Aires!  Roger was getting Diane some birthday presents, and she got to pick them out!

Afterwards, we went to see a Memorial to the Victims of Terrorism of the State. It is a memorial to the victims of the 1976-1983 military regine, known as the National Reorganization Process, during the " Dirty War" In the 1970's people who disagreed vocally with the Argentine government were "disappeared".  Some were killed and dumped into mass graves, others dropped into the Rio de la Plata that flows by Buenos Aires into the Atlantic Ocean.  This  large expanse of land, next to the University of Buenos Aires,  with its sculptures and memorial wall and a whole database online is all about those of the "desaparecidos" that they have been able to identify.  

This sculpture is dedicated by the artist, Nicolás Guagnini to his fathr who disappeared in 1977.  As you walk by the face appears.  As you walk on and look back, it has disappeared.

The water behind is the Rio de la Plata.  Across the expanse of water is Uruguay, but it is too far to be seen.

During this same time, children were kidnapped and sold on the black market to families wanting to adopt.  This financed some of the conflict.

This sculpture is untitled by aludes to Martín, José and Valeria, the children of writer Matilde Herrera who were kidnapped and disappeared between 1976 and 1977.

I'm not sure what this was.  It was just a ways of shore,in the river.  I'm not sure if it is a buoy or a docking station, or what.  But I liked it.

This is the scene looking towards Tigre.  The signs are called a Group of Street Art.  They are traffic signs  of Argentina.

A Monument to Escape alludes to clandestine detention centers.

 

This is called towers of memory, by Norberto Gómez.  It represents diverse instruments of torture or combat . In the background you can see buildings of the University of Buenos Aires.  The Memorial is on University land.

This plaque begins the long zigzag wall that holds the names and ages of the disappeared.  Most, but not all were in their twenties.  Some. of the women were pregnant.  

You can see the names at the beginning of the wall.  There are spaces for more names if and when more victims are located and identified.  The expanse of this is amazing and terrifying all at the same time.  It goes back and forth until it reaches the information center at the river.

That's Diane, Roger and Karen in the shot to give you a perspective of size.

 

This monolith says, "To think is a revolutionary act..." in homage to those who dared to speak out.

 Victory by William Tucker is a geometric form, broken and incomplete alluding to the truncated lives of the disappeared.

 This was the first sculpture I took pictures of and my favorite, so I saved it for last.  The Rebar poles are about 10 meters tall.  The tops move with the wind and clank together.  It is sort of a giant windchime.

 It is called "To Human Rights" by Leon Ferrari. It is a poly-sensorial sculpture. In the artist's words: "You can touch my sculptures with your hands, with a violin bow, or however you like."

I love hands-on stuff.....