Something about museums during the year 2007.

(I wrote this back in January 2008).

2007 came to an end—one more year gone—and 2008 began. It occurred to me to do, as many people do, a recap of the year that passed, but I didn't know on what topic. So I began remembering events. I kept discarding the nice events so they would remain as good memories, so I thought about some of the not-so-nice events, which would be good to remember as a sign of caution, although I think it's something those who should care about don't really care much about.

Starting in the final quarter that would close out the year, an event called "La noche de los museos" (The Night of the Museums) http://www.lanochedelosmuseos.com.ar/ took place—an event in which 414,000 visitors toured 102 museums and art spaces in Buenos Aires that opened their doors from 7:00 PM until 2:00 AM with free admission. This event struck me as the right starting point for this message, especially since the blog has a dedicated space for commenting on museums.

We can accompany this first piece of news with an even better one: an article published in the newspaper La Nación on January 12, 2008, titled "Los museos desplegaron su poderoso imán" (Museums unleashed their powerful magnet) http://www.lanacion.com.ar/EdicionImpresa/cultura/nota.asp?nota_id=978307, which tells us that in 2007, visits increased by 15% compared to the previous year. That is good news; it means there is a slightly greater interest than last year among the general public in visiting them. Let's say that people are interested in and attracted to something housed in the museums, always of cultural value. How nice!

Well, with the good news concluded, I move on to the ugly part—the negative recap, which is abundant when it shouldn't be. Although criminals and saboteurs have existed and will exist, some people are there to prevent them with various tools, the most important perhaps being good social conditions. Since these always fail in developing countries, one must resort to care and prevention; however, it seems this also failed. Let us look back and remember a bit.

I'll start when, in late June 2007, a criminal or criminals took General Belgrano's watch from a museum. The news article titled "Roban del Museo Histórico Nacional el reloj de Belgrano" (Belgrano's watch stolen from the National Historical Museum) http://www.lanacion.com.ar/archivo/Nota.asp?nota_id=922346 states in its introduction: The missing item was discovered on Saturday; the thieves had broken the glass of the display case where it was exhibited; it was the national hero's only belonging when he died. In another newspaper, one can read "¿Quién le robó el reloj al general?" (Who stole the general's watch?) http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/sociedad/3-87522-2007-07-03.html.

Just a few days into July, we can read the following news item in another newspaper: "Robaron varias reliquias del siglo XVII de una parroquia de Purmamarca" (Several 17th-century relics stolen from a Purmamarca parish) http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/07/12/sociedad/s-03501.htm.

It was not an isolated incident; the interior of the country had more victims: El Museo de Luján en estado de alerta (Luján Museum on high alert). The community of Luján felt the unconsulted handover of the doors of the Casa de Tucumán as an insult. Now, three copper cauldrons weighing 100 kg each have disappeared. http://www.igooh.com.ar/Nota.aspx?IdNota=9161. This news didn't get much coverage in the media, but it appears mentioned in other reports, adding to the overall wave of thefts.

It seems that the lack of security, the lack of control, the disinterest, or whatever it was no longer intimidated criminals, who went to the Casa Rosada itself. Here, the news article titled "Otro robo en un museo histórico, esta vez en la propia Casa Rosada" (Another theft in a historical museum, this time at the Casa Rosada itself) http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/sociedad/3-90628-2007-09-01.html begins by saying: This time they took two watches, both gold, and a gold-plated fountain pen. The relics had belonged to three Argentine presidents.

Someone woke up from their nap, and the following headline reads: "Declaran el 'estado de alerta general' en todos los museos por la ola de robos" ('General state of alert' declared in all museums due to crime wave) http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/08/31/um/m-01489613.htm, so the National Secretariat of Culture placed all the country's museums under a "general state of alert."

By December: "Habilitan la reapertura del Museo Histórico Nacional" (Reopening of the National Historical Museum authorized) http://www.lanacion.com.ar/archivo/Nota.asp?nota_id=971137. Despite this: "El Museo Histórico seguirá cerrado al público hasta abril" (The Historical Museum will remain closed to the public until April) http://www.lanacion.com.ar/974800.

By September, criminals didn't feel intimidated in the slightest. The news tells us: "Estatuas robadas del Parque Lezama" (Statues stolen from Parque Lezama). The bronze figures of Romulus and Remus that were part of the 'Capitoline Wolf' statue, located in the center of Parque Lezama between the Buenos Aires neighborhoods of La Boca and San Telmo, were stolen by unknown individuals in recent hours. http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/ultimas/20-91373-2007-09-14.html and http://www.lanacion.com.ar/informaciongeneral/nota.asp?nota_id=944127 (New theft of a historical piece).

This statue issue has precedents: in 2004, a bust was taken, and earlier, between 2002 and 2003 (when the country was emerging from the 2001 crisis), 137 plaques and six busts were taken. http://www.lanacion.com.ar/591893

In 2007, they also targeted the artwork of painter Quinquela Martín. This time it was in Mar del Plata in the month of May when it was stolen. In July, those who sold it were captured, and consequently, the work was recovered. News of this event can be found at these links: http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/07/13/um/m-01456834.htm, http://www.pagina12.com.ar/diario/sociedad/3-88227-2007-07-17.html, and http://msn-list.te.verweg.com/2007-July/007734.html. The obsession with Quinquela Martín's paintings goes back further—perhaps someone is displeased with his works. Unfortunately, impunity arrived for some in 2005; I don't know what the ultimate fate of a stolen Quinquela Martín painting was: http://www.elojodigital.com/sociedad/2005/07/14/544.html, and in 1992 there is another precedent I stumbled upon: [suspicious link removed].

It was also in September that another news story was published, this time not about theft, but about the poor condition of a museum: "El Museo del Cine en peligro" (The Cinema Museum in danger). The fate of the national film heritage has historically been tied to absolute official apathy. Now, on top of a traditionally critical picture, a new alarm is raised. http://www.boletinargentino.com/index.php?p=1346 and http://elrevisionista.blogspot.com/2007/09/museo-del-cine-de-buenos-aires-en.html, plus one more among many on the same topic: http://www.loquesomos.org/candilejas/nuestrocine/Cineenpeligro.htm.

Since Belgrano was one of the victims of the museum thefts through the stealing of one of his belongings, I am going to copy an excerpt from one of his letters where he talks about education:

I left the coats of arms being painted for the school door. The inscription that should be placed around them is as follows: "Come, for freely given to you is the pleasant nectar and the divine liquor of wisdom." Make sure the painter places it, and that it is mounted according to my wishes. Each day I yearn more for the opening of these establishments and to see their results, because daily I realize how much we need them.

(Letter to Teodoro Sánchez de Bustamante, Secretary General of the Army of the North. Requesting an inscription on the coat of arms of the school founded by him. Potosí, July 10, 1813)

Sometimes education is not enough. Education is necessary as a primary measure to prevent the actions of those who steal, but it is always insufficient. And considering that the last museum mentioned—the one facing trouble—is the Cinema Museum (an art form that constantly gives us masterpieces), I would say it is also worth watching one of the finest war films ever made, The Train (1964), in which the looters were certainly not uneducated people.