It’s Friday again!

And despite some minor developments, it’s been a quiet week when it comes to funny serious news. The President hasn’t engaged in one of her loony stunts and crap presented on television has remained pretty average.

Maybe it’s the fact that non-sexual love was in the air this week, as millions of Argentines went out on Wednesday night in order to celebrate the Dia del Amigo (or “Friend’s Day”), a festivity that has nothing to do with the Jennifer Aniston sitcom from the 90’s.

Friend’s Day, celebrated every July 20th, is actually the day of the year in which you call your friends to tell them how much you love them. So yeah, it’s basically a made-up celebration in order to make you spend money, and the only day in which it’s socially acceptable for  a guy to tell his male friend he loves him without being ostracized forever for being queer.

In other words, it’s just like Valentine’s Day, only there’s no pressure to have sex with your friends after dinner (it doesn’t mean you can’t do it though. You know, whatever works for you).

So this is what you need to know:

• 

  Badass Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. (Photo/Wikipedia)

  President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner actually didn’t pull any of her crazy stunts this week. And that, my friends, is news. She did, however, left many scratching their heads last Wednesday when, during a speech in the province of Santiago del Estero, she pulled a “silence, please.“ Like, in English. A language she totally doesn’t speak.

• I’ve mentioned it before, but since your attention span diminishes as you keep reading this column, I’d like to remind you that Argentina was the victim of a vicious terrorist attack in 1994  when extremists blew up the AMIA Jewish community offices in Buenos Aires, killing 85 people. Seventeen years later, the investigation remains open, with Argentine authorities accusing Iranian government officials of masterminding the attack. Iran, who we all know doesn’t give a shit about anything ever, shrugged and refused to turn the suspects over to Argentine officials, straining bilateral relations since 2006. Until now! Because in an unexpected turn of events, beloved leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sent a letter to the Argentine government assuring his country “was ready to cooperate.” Does this mean they will send the suspects to Buenos Aires so they can be put to trial? Of course not! But you know, it’s the thought that counts.

• Just as everyone (i.e. me) expected, Argentina lost against Uruguay and just like that it was left out of the Copa America competition. Tough shit.

• Of course, whenever Argentina lose in a football game, it’s pretty much a national tragedy, and the first logical step after a humiliating defeat is looking for a scapegoat, usually the team’s coach. Remember last year in the World Cup, when Maradona was the best coach in the history of the universe and then the team lost and he became a fat, inexperienced slob who had to be fired immediately? Well, that’s what’s happening to the current coach, Sergio Batista, who is now rumored to be resigning soon after pressure from the entire population to do so. Some people have even put up a banner asking for Maradona’s return outside the team’s training camp. Collective schizophrenia is what I call it.

• Speaking of uncivilized cavemen, after Paraguay managed to beat
  

  Current Argentine football team coach and future pariah Sergio Batista. (Photo/Wikipedia)

  Venezuela in semifinals, players from both teams started kicking each other’s asses, because that’s what you do when you lose. “The beautiful game,” they call it. Haha! People.

• Great news, everyone! Argentina closed a deal with Blackberry in order to have the handheld devices manufactured in the country! Does this mean that they will now be less expensive and available for everyone, and we will not need to buy them unlocked in the US??? (No.)

• And the nude pics scandal goes to (horrible) actress Juanita Viale and her husband Gonzalo “Manguera” Valenzuela, whose cell phone was allegedly stolen and the photos it contained where uploaded to the internet by some ever mischievous pickpocketers. Like I always say, they are explicit, they are porn. They are not safe for work. So don’t go blaming me if you get fired or become offended by them. I warned you first. Besides, who are you kidding, you love this shit.

• So apparently Marilyn Monroe made a porno in the 50′s, and for some reason that film is being auctioned in Buenos Aires. Here’s the video, if you care to watch it. I should remind you though, that by 50′s standards, Disney’s The Lion King is dirtier than this.

• Remember how this government never represses demonstrations and let’s everybody speak their mind freely because that’s what democracy is all about? Well, I guess the Qom indigenous population in the Formosa province beg to differ because this new video shows how the provincial police beat them up furiously during a protest. Oh, I’m sorry! Were you one of those who actually believe that no-repression mantra that all governments around the world pretend to repeat ad nauseum, but when it comes to exercise it they fail miserably?  Oops.

It’s Friday again!

And sorry to be a buzzkill but you better party hard tonight, since tomorrow night the veda electoral kicks in and all restaurants, bars and nightclubs in the City remain closed so everyone can wake up fresh and clear-headed on Sunday morning in order to go vote for the next mayor of Buenos Aires. Oh, and to all of you smartasses going all “I don’t care, I’m throwing a house party,” I should warn you that alcohol sales in kioskos and supermarkets are considered illegal after 8 pm, so if you’re thinking of getting drunk tomorrow, you better stock up. Now. Because tomorrow night is when Buenos Aires suddenly turns into Riyadh for 12 hours, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Of course, there’s the alternative of going out of the city (meaning Vicente López, Olivos, San Isidro), but chances are that you’re so lazy and it’s so cold outside that you’d rather stay at home watching old episodes of Glee (or whatever it is that kids watch these days) than going out for a drink.

Now that you’ve been made aware, here’s what you need to know:

• 

  Buenos Aires picks a mayor this Sunday, ruining your life. (Photo/Wikipedia)

  The mayoral elections are finally here! And guess what: you don’t give a shit because you don’t vote. Or even worse, you do vote and still don’t give a shit! Either way, I suggest you do look at the short bios about the candidates I created for you. Like I usually say, you may not give a rat’s ass about politics, but that doesn’t mean that it has to show:

1. Mr. Burns
2. Droopy
3. Ebenezer Scrooge
4. Lex Luthor
5. Frida Kahlo
6. Annie Wilkes

• Are there any other candidates? Sure! Should you care about them? No. Basically the city is divided between incumbent Mr. Burns and Droopy Dog, who has President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner‘s support. So it’s very probable that a second round will be necessary in order to finally elect a mayor (meaning that in two weekends, you’ll have to stay at home again). The horror!

• The Copa America is finally here! And after months of intense preparations, rehearsals and ’round the clock practice, we all sat down in front of our television sets to witness one of the most boring, poorly-executed opening ceremonies in the history of sporting events. Here, look for yourself and I dare you to stay awake all the way through. And don’t even get me started about the dog that broke into the field during a match between Venezuela and Brazil.

• To make matters worse, Argentina’s debut against Bolivia was an absolute disappointment, followed by a second game against Colombia that was not only boring, but a terrifying warning that even Colombians were playing better than the team that includes Messi, Tévez, Kun Aguero and Mascherano. Since Wednesday, all you can hear in the media and on the internet is fans sharpening their knives, getting ready to murder their players en masse if they are left out of the race.  So what happens now? Argentina need to win the next game against Costa Rica on Monday night, or you better stay at home that night unless you want to be lynched by an angry mob running down the street.

• Lionel Messi has gone from “God” to “traitor, idiot, useless, stupid, zombie, bastard, horrible, overrated” and of course, “not Maradona” in just a few seconds. Fans have been treating him so bad lately that his father even admitted today that he’s depressed and scared of going out into the field next Monday. After everything this kid’s been through and how badly he is being treated by his own people, I honestly can’t wait for him to say “fuck you all,” quit the Argentine team and start playing for Spain.

• And another thing regarding the Copa America: next time, when their creative minds need to come up with a mascot for the tournament, hopefully they will not turn to The Simpsons for “inspiration.” Here’s the Copa America’s mascot, a stupid-looking ostrich, and here’s Mr. Burns on drugs when everyone thought he was an alien. Your welcome.

• Meet Argentina’s new rising internet star: Mr. Tano Pasman, the quintessential Argentine football fan whose hilarious rant caught on hidden camera as he witnessed his team’s relegation has now become the most shared video of the year. Enjoy it here.

• The Puyehue volcano is still spewing ash and getting flighs canceled and shit. Whatever.

• In order to fight human trafficking, President Fernández de Kirchner announced that she was banning all sex ads
  

  Former God and current public enemy #1 Lionel Messi. (Photo/Wikipedia)

  in the classifieds section of newspapers and magazines (locally knows was “Rubro 59″). Congrats, Madame President! Sure, no living person has used that section since 1987 since everyone is getting laid via Facebook, but it’s a step into the right direction. Bravo!

• Great news, everyone! Netflix, the on-demand internet streaming video provider, is finally coming to Argentina! This means you will be able to watch movies in HD without leaving your seat. Although I should warn you, you need a flat screen TV and a high-speed internet connection to do so. So if you’re an average Argentine, odds are you’ll end up buying a bootleg copy of Avatar from that guy standing outside the Subte entrance and watch it on your laptop’s dirty 15″ inch screen. Yeah, sorry. Life’s a bitch.

• Oh, and remember how we celebrated last year when Groupon arrived in Argentina? Yeah, well, sorry but their website has been shut down by the government. Apparently they were caught “selling plane tickets” which for some reason it is not allowed. I blame the travel agencies, but what the fuck do I know.

• And finally: when I write this column, pop culture plays a major role in it. So if there’s something everyone is talking about, even if it’s not news, I feel compelled to include it so at least you’ll feel like you’re part of this twisted culture. You get to be made part of the joke instead of watching from outside. Considering the “sensitive” nature of this scandal, I debated between mentioning it or not. And you know what? This is what everyone in this country is going to be talking about this weekend, so fuck it. Here’s the warning: it’s a photograph, it’s 100% explicit and it’s dirty. Like, “Not safe for work” dirty. Porn dirty. Seriously. Some may even call it demeaning to women. Got it? Don’t blame me if you get fired. So if you’re easily offended, skip this. If not, then go ahead. Although if you think you’re easily offended and you’re reading this column your either a masochist or a liar. You’ve been warned.

• You may have noticed that #lafoto (“The photograph”) was trending nationally on Twitter yesterday afternoon. The Twitter world in Argentina had exploded with the news of a scandalous photograph showing “actress” and Dancing with the Stars sweetheart Silvina Escudero in a “controversial” situation. A few minutes later, gossip shows on every major network, radio shows and online papers such as Clarin and Pagina 12 followed, all covering the same story and showing the photo.  Well, what happened is that apparently Escudero’s digital camera had been stolen, and the thieves, not satisfied with robbing her, decided to ruin her career by posting a certain photograph they found in it. Argentine media, which truly doesn’t give a fuck about anything anymore, decided to upload it all over the internet so you can “condemn it yourself.” So here, I give you three versions, edited differently by every newspaper in order for you to “condemn” it yourself:

• Photo #1 – Heavily censored. Suggestive.
• Photo #2 – Funnily censored (honestly, it’s very funny). Explicit.
• Photo #3 – Uncensored. 100% explicit.

• See, that wasn’t so bad! I mean, this is what she regularly does on Dancing with the Stars every week, so if you were offended by that photograph, you belong in church, not here.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Send Adrian your comments, thoughts or tips at adrianbono@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @AdrianBono

It’s Friday again!

Although for many of you it’s probably already Monday, or Wednesday, or whatever, since I’m sure with the Copa America tournament kicking-off this afternoon you couldn’t care less about this column. That’s OK though, I’m not offended. The fact that you’re all bitching about how “cold” it is at night, and how the weather directly hinders your pathetic little drunken crusades around town every evening actually makes me feel better. So there, we’re even.

Anyway, this is what you losers needed to know last Friday, but didn’t bother checking out because you were following a ball like a tribe of zombie lemmings.

And to those who really are visiting today, thank you for appreciating my efforts, one day I’ll pay back.

• After creating unparalleled levels of anticipation that made it seem as if the lines between politics and entertainment had been blurred forever, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner finally announced on live television who her running mate would be. Imagine everyone’s surprise when her choice turned out to be none other than… Sorry, we’ll talk about this later, there’s something more important to discuss: River Plate.

• 

  Buenos Aires, five minutes before the end of the River Plate match. (Photo/Wikipedia)

  OH MY FUCKING GOD. Last Sunday was, according to most historians around the globe, the saddest day in the history of the universe. Believe it or not, legendary football team River Plate ended up being relegated to the National B Division after 110 years of being in the A Division. I’m not exactly sure what that means, but I guess for football fans it’s like going from being Brad Pitt to Sloth from The Goonies, one more piece of evidence that the end of the world is nigh.

• Of course, while the players were devastated and cried like effeminate little girls, River Plate fans were not happy about this, so their understandable, natural reaction to their team’s demotion was, of course, destroying the stadium, ransacking nearby stores, damaging private property, attacking and critically injuring policemen and make life-threatening comments to the team’s players.

• Such a terrible ordeal (for the hooligans, I mean) became, according to River Plate president Daniel Passarella “a matter of national interest,” for which he requested an audience with President Fernández de Kirchner in order to discuss the club’s next steps. I applaud this decision. I mean, finally we get to see who really wields all the power in this country. And that is, of course, the president of a football team.

• Oh, and not to rain on your parade, but relegation means of course that you’ll never again be able to witness a Superclasico . Pity.

• However, you can still enjoy some good ole’ football, since the Copa America begins tonight! I have no idea what it’s about (I believe like a football world cup but on a continental level) but people seem to consider it entertaining enough. So there, have fun.

• Football Superstar and probable deity Lionel Messi confessed to the press that when he retires from football, he would like to move to Argentina. This statement prompted many Argentines to go all “In your face, Spaniards!” Well, sorry to pop your balloon but the only reason he does it is because with the Euro being 6 to 1 here, it’s obvious he only does it in order to be six trillion times richer than all of us combined.

• Speaking of which, you know how Argentines love to hate Obama,
  

  Buenos Aires, five minutes after the end of the River Plate match. (Photo/Wikipedia)

  saying that he’s just like Bush and stuff? Well apparently it’s all forgiven when he compares himself to Messi. No hard feelings, Mr. President?

• “Oh my God, you guys! The Harlem Globetrotters are here!” That’s what I would have said if it were 1990. However, it’s not 1990 so no one cares. By the way, the Harlem Globetrotters really are here.

• The Argentine Government is once again furious at the British Government after the British Defence Minister warned that they are ready to go to war if Argentina continues busting their balls about the Malvinas/Falklands Islands. Jesus, you two. Honestly, either go to war or don’t, but get over this endless saber rattling crap because it’s gotten really boring and I’m not sure people believe any of you anymore. Idiots.

• Finally, Twitter proves that it is kind of useful! After senators in the Upper House announced this week their intentions to pass a bill aimed at creating an additional tax for digital products such as mp3 players and cell phones, Twitter users staged a large protest on the the internet that forced senators to call off the debate. Congratulations, useless teenagers! You’ve finally achieved something! Of course, the fact that a bunch of hackers attacked the Senate website and intimidated government officials, may have also been responsible for their change of heart, but I guess we’ll never know!

• Now that President Fernández de Kirchner is in full campaign mode, she has decided to finally acknowledge that insecurity is kind of a problem here. That’s why she announced the deployment of additional police officers in several “critical” areas in the south of the city, where criminal activities seem to be flourishing. Does this mean you’ll be safer? No, since Palermo, San Telmo, Recoleta and all the other “green zones” you like to go to for drinks and sex couldn’t be further from the south. So remember: don’t leave your home without your pepper spray/gun kids!

• And finally: after creating unparalleled levels of anticipation that made it seem as if the lines between politics and entertainment had been blurred forever, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner finally announced on live television who her running mate in the coming presidential elections would be. Imagine everyone’s surprise when her choice turned out to be none other than… Economy Minister Amado Boudou! (Check out this file photo of him). The repercussions of her decision are huge, and are expected to drastically alter both domestic and international political scenarios. However, I’ve run out of space since I already used most of it to talk about football. Oh, well.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Send Adrian your comments, thoughts or tips at adrianbono@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @AdrianBono

It’s Friday again!

And what a fucked up week it’s been. Volcanic eruptions, political scandals and even a visit by Ricky Martin! I’m not sure Argentina can take all of this at once. Of course, half of you readers wouldn’t know since you’re still stuck on the other side of the world, unable to fly to South America because those sissy airlines refuse to fly through a harmless ash cloud.

So, since one half is stuck abroad and the other half doesn’t give a shit about what happens around here and just read this for its comedic value, all I can do is let you know of all the awesomeness(*) going on around here, that you unfortunately will not be able to enjoy.

• 

  Thanks to those bastards at Reuters, I can't use a photo of the Puyehue volcano, so you'll have to settle with one from some volcano from around the world. (Photo/Wikipedia)

  So here’s what you need to know:The Rapture is slowly getting here! After several decades of remaining dormant, the Puyehue Volcano in Chile erupted again this week, pretty much fucking up everybody’s lives. From the bucolic people of Bariloche to the altered residents of Buenos Aires, an ash cloud spewed by the angry giant covered the entire half of the country. Domestic and international flights were cancelled, pissing off a lot of people who were hoping to fly here for something called the Copa America, and crops around Patagonia were ruined under a thick layer of ash. So, the country has been a mess for a week and we don’t even know if the worst is over. I mean, we all know how Dante’s Peak ended. And I’m not talking about that ridiculous “hiding in the mine” thing, I’m talking about that big-ass pyroclastic cloud blowing up shit. So let’s see how it all plays out.

• Oh, by the way, President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner gave a speech on the dangers that the ash cloud poses to your health, and she assured that it’s all psychological. So there, there’s nothing to worry about.

• Argentina launched the SAT-D Aquarius spy satellite today, which will measure the ocean’s salinity. How does that help? I have no idea, but the government put up a whole show this morning with President Fernandez de Kirchner acting as a host,  a situation that brought us many laughable moments, like when she started freaking out about an “unexpected explosion” during the launch, while the guys at NASA overseeing the launch scratched their heads, wondering what the fuck she was freaking out about. Congrats, though, Argentina!

• A garbage men strike once again affected Buenos Aires this week, which meant we had to put up with an awful smell and some big-ass flies for several days until it was all resolved. What was it about this time? Something about a dead guy? I don’t know. Quite frankly, I don’t give a shit anymore.

• Thinking of expressing your support for your favorite politician but can’t come up with an original way to do so? Well, think no more! Just do what a Neuquen government official did a week before their mayoral elections: soft porn! 40-year old Alejandra Oehrens decided to attract attention to her Facebook page in support of the opposition’s candidate by having these photos taken of her in a school girl dress. So there you have it. Embarrassing AND adorable (and gross).

• Remember last week’s big announcement about the Metrobus? That new, safe, fast, clean, transportation service that takes people from Palermo to Liniers in the blink of an eye? Yeah, well, it was involved in two traffic accidents this week. Good one, Mr. Mayor!

• Manchester City superstar and forgettable singer Carlos Tevez
  

  Coolest guy in the world Carlos Tevez (Photo/Wikipedia)

  returned to Argentina this week to take part in something called Copa America (whatever that is), and decided to pop up at his former cumbia band’s show this week. And you know what? He may be a horrible singer and speak the worst English in the world, but there’s nothing this guy can do to make me dislike him. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s the first one to laugh at himself or something, but I love this guy, even if he plays the sport that shall not be named.

• Formerly straight and currently gay rockstar Ricky Martin visited Argentina and met with President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner and Susana Gimenez (AKA “the white, South American Oprah“). But you see, even though Susana totally seems to get along with “the gays,” she still seemed a bit awkward discussing his sexuality and avoided calling him “a gay,” so she just keep questioning him about “his problem,” which brought criticism from everyone (except Catholics) for her archaic and borderline-insulting comments. It’s alright though, at least she didn’t ask if gay adoption could lead to gay parents raping their child, like TV host Mirtha Legrand did.

• You know how some of you snobs keep saying that you “love Puerto Madero because it’s chic and safe”? Well, let me tell you something: Chic? Please, It’s the biggest nouveau-riche conglomerate in the country.  And safe? Sure! It’s so safe that today, these robbers pulled a Home Alone, ransacked an entire apartment in broad daylight and weren’t even shot! That’s how safe it is.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Send Adrian your comments, thoughts or tips at adrianbono@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @AdrianBono

(*) = For all you locals, I’m sorry to tell you, there’s no awesomeness going on.

 

Photo by Kate Stanworth

Walk through the capital’s Sunday ferias these days, and you might notice one spectacle that’s a little bit, well, ‘off’. Among the hawkers and tango dancers, ‘Tranqui Yanqui’ cuts a goofy figure dressed in a florescent outfit and an Uncle Sam hat, beckoning passers by towards a precarious cardboard stand bursting with saccharine visual treats. “Yo yo, soy yo!” he can be heard shouting in a US accent, while waving about questionable pairs of gold Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses. “They’re designer!” he beams.

On closer inspection, all his wares are made of cardboard and paper, including the glasses, painted hot dogs, pretend dollars and florescent ‘clothes’ decorated with half-naked girls and US basketball stars. His in-your-face persona is a ruse. He is neither a vendor, nor an ‘entertainer’.

So what is this strange gringo really about?

Who are you?

I’m just Tranqui. And Tranqui likes to just hang out with his closet made of garbage, look at pretty girls, drink Tranqui-Cola, and keep his clothes on their hangers.

Who are you really?

 

Photo by Kate Stanworth

[Laughs] I’m Nick Mahshie, an artist from Miami. I’m a painter, but since coming to Buenos Aires I’ve combined painting with intervention and performance, and taken it out to the public.

What the hell is Tranqui Yanqui all about?

I created Tranqui as a stereotype of the dumb, goofy North American in order to talk about it, to see how people react. It’s exploring the label.

How did this strange cross-cultural exploration start?

Tranqui was created in an artists’ residency I did in La Plata. I was the first North American so I put up a sign saying ‘I am the first Yankee’. Then I became very interested in the label. It’s misleading to give those labels but we always fall back on them. Then things kind of went from there.

Why do you pretend to be a salesman?

I’m using crappy stuff and jokes to get in people’s faces. I’ve extracted marketing garbage and I’m naively embracing it, but there are all these other issues in the background. People are attracted to the surface side of it but maybe later they think more about it. I trick them into looking at it.

It comes back to a thing about making a character for yourself. I get annoyed when ‘serious artists’ look down on what I’m doing as not classy enough because it looks like trash. Art that does something has to confront people.

 

Photo by Kate Stanworth

What are the contents of your closet?

The things in the closet are a reflection on Miami that are rooted in the idea of fantasy – the champagne, club lifestyle. It’s playing on a popular reflection of the place to do with pop, money and indulgence.

Other symbols I use are things I’m attached to such as alligators, flamingos and palm trees. They are personal icons, masks, costumes and decorations to do with making a festival or party.

I also like the idea of the copy, the false, the imitation.

You’re playing up to a stereotype of the US, which has to do with instant gratification, desire, and consumer culture.

Yes, Tranqui Yanqui’s closet is obviously packed with cultural baggage, but I like to avoid talking about this – I know what I’m thinking about it but the more important thing is to bring out what they’re thinking.

What are they thinking?

Generally, what is he doing? What is this? [laughs]

I think most people are happier when they don’t have to ask questions. To ask a question might warrant a series of thoughts about something strange or difficult to understand. And who really wants to think about something that maybe, possibly, doesn’t have a reason or a solution at all? But that is part of the reason I do this. To see what people think, see, or wonder…So what’s the point again?

How do people react?

It depends on the place. In Recoleta they understood it as art I think, whereas in other places like Chacarita and Once I was understood more as a clown. The aesthetic of Tranqui also shares a lot with Latin sitcoms and tv shows so everyone sees it as funny.

 

Photo by Kate Stanworth

People in Once, in particular, open up to it. One guy took hold of Tranqui’s hat when setting up and put it on. People seemed to expect it – they were giving me positive hand signals as though they knew what it was about.

The reaction changes depending on what’s going on around him, but the point is that he remains something that doesn’t quite fit in, so later on, when the feria is over, people think: actually, what the hell was he doing?

Tranqui quickly seemed to become something of a celebrity in Buenos Aires, appearing in the national press, back in October 2008, when he first started out.

Yes, and what was interesting was that he appeared alongside stories of US ambassadors being expulsed in Venezuela and Bolivia, so photos of him smiling at the camera ended up next to murals of evil Uncle Sam, saying ‘Yankees go home’.

I’m still not sure what people thought about the juxtaposition. Maybe they thought I was making fun of Yankees. But this kind of exposure is all part of the work.

So you let your oblivious character stroll through a quagmire of bad feeling towards the US?

As a Yank you are always on the defensive. You carry with you the baggage of Bush, and decades of aggressive foreign policy.

An Argentine made a comment on my blog about this, saying: “I imagine it’s hard at times to struggle with the karma of being a Yankee outside the USA. Not many others share your experience. But if what you do is good, then it drops the flag and it’s for everyone.”

 

Photo by Kate Stanworth

Are you trying to defy this reputation or make it better?

No, neither. I’m just kind of poking people with it. Better than a facebook poke though!

Is there a new North American identity emerging, with the change in power and shifting economic fortunes of the US? If so what does this mean for Tranqui?

Will Obama change the identity of Yankees? Are we not still imperialist, capitalist, ignorant, and uncultured? Maybe that stereotype is still going to be what distinguishes me.

As for the crisis, on the brink of economic collapse, Tranqui represents a happy oblivion. With the empire falling the new Yankee might be an immigrant, or a cartonero [person who recycles rubbish on the streets], but they’ll still revel in the symbols of their past. I’m turning those US symbols into a grandiose thing.

Money is just an idea. It’s confidence in it that makes it work. So Tranqui revels in the idea of money. Tranqui celebrates his symbols just like fileteado celebrates the opulent past of Buenos Aires.

Could Tranqui Yanqui exist in the US?

Tranqui’s heart is here. He only exists here.

What were you doing before Tranqui Yanqui?

With my work I always like to cross borders and engage with different people and cultures. In Rome I worked with Gitanos and put paintings of them out on the street where they would often sit. The Italians stepped over these people. They didn’t count as legitimate.

 

Photo by Kate Stanworth

My work presents questions without solutions, its just art. It can be troublesome to look at because of that.

When I came back to the US from Rome I started talking to recent immigrants, since I wanted to socially engage with the city (Providence, Rhode Island) more. I started doing a doll project with their kids where I interviewed them about how they wanted to be represented, then I made wood carvings. It was interesting that these dark haired Latino kids wanted to look like Barbie.

What’s next for Tranqui Yanqui?

Tranqui’s future can be summed up in a couple of words, that is, the Argentine mullet: business in the front, a party at the back.

I’ll be hoppin’ on the Tranqui Express for 2009, getting some gold teeth and getting down to business. In production is a new line of clothing, and a thorough advertising campaign to uphold it all, slapped with the Tranqui tag to make it even more awesome.

Wait. More awesome? Yes. More awesome.

Tranquify that shit.

Tranqui Yanqui can be found at various Ferias around Buenos Aires. For more information, or to make a comment, consult: http://tranquiyanqui.blogspot.com/