I’m going to take the universe that surrounds me to the museum

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Sergio Langer – renowned author of a harsh and corrosive graphic humor, with little affection for political correctness – will arrive in Córdoba from Buenos Aires this week to assemble and inaugurate a polymorphous exhibition of his creations at the Genaro Pérez museum.

Presented on its poster as a “world tour,” in principle “Zoolanger” is scheduled exclusively in Córdoba, with the declared intention of “getting out of porteño-falopa centrism.”

Langer, 65 years old, has 45 publications, counting since he debuted in the magazine Humor Registrado in 1979, fifteen books and constant participations in as many national and foreign media. A career that in 2022 was recognized with a Konex award.

However, the exhibition “will not be a retrospective.” This is what the artist emphasizes, to make it clear that it will not imply a systematic representation of his published work, but rather a more whimsical selection that will also contemplate past, present and prospective of his freest graphic and plastic creation, developed outside the editorial work.

“Yes, there are going to be jokes: originals from my book Jews and others. And there will be comics: originals from ‘Clase media’ and ‘Mamá Pierri’ (which were serialized in Barcelona magazine) and some of what I do for Mongolia magazine, from Spain,” Sergio clarifies, for the peace of mind of his readers. And he adds that the display case that will house copies of all of his books will also include issues of Lápiz Japonés, the legendary indie graphic anthology magazine that he managed with Diego Bianki in the ’90s and that he was presenting at Ricardo Sued’s Arte Bar in 1994.

Sergio Langer, graphic humorist (Photography, kindness Sergio Langer)

“But there are also going to be a lot of unpublished things that I did for many years,” he explains, “that at some point touch on the concept of irony and grotesque that I work with, but that go beyond graphic humor as a genre, with its codes and tricks.” already incorporated into the unconscious of those who consumed it for decades.”

“Graphic humor is in retreat: there are no media, there are no supports, everything is online,” contextualizes the author, who defines himself as “an old man,” although he exhibits a very youthful self-confidence and is very active in the windows of virtuality. .

“And at the same time I have been looking for a different path with drawing for a long time, to get into another lifeline; but I couldn’t find a language and I started to find it now,” she adds.

Langer says that he now combines his “very great need to draw” with that of “exploring other things, like doing it with rough brushes that surprise with the textures they give, but working on good paper, 250 gram cotton, with ink.” good…”. “What I never did –surprising–. I always drew on ream sheets. And I have published drawings that I made on the back of someone else to avoid getting up from the table, because I’m lazy.”

In addition to originals capriciously framed in frames of different types, “Zoolanger” will encompass sketches, digital prints, serigraphs, risographs, postcards and… ceramics: “I surprised myself: I never imagined, until a year ago, that I would make ceramics . They are figurative.”

“I even have Nelly dolls,” he adds, in reference to the protagonist of the strip that he developed for 14 years in Clarín together with the screenwriter Rubén Mira, and of two thick compilation books (the most recent, a Golden Book, from 2022 ).

“I haven’t thrown anything away in these 40 years,” he says, and his voice is tinged with laughter. I have everything. And I’m going to bring a little of each thing; the universe that surrounds me.” And what is the limit, in the selection of what he will take from his home-workshop in the La Paternal neighborhood? “Whatever went into my car. “But I have a big car,” she responds, and a hushed laugh modulates her pronunciation again. And my capacity for synthesis, which is very little.”

“For me, going with my car and with my producer (Rodrigo Ottaviano, audiovisual creative and cultural manager very close to the musician Daniel Melero) is already part of the exhibition, and there was no exhibition without that: ‘Zoolanger’ starts there,” he explains. , beginning to reveal a certain spirit of happening with which they conceived this exhibition, which was promoted by the Patronage program, of the Ministry of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires.

And he adds that he finds it more fun to travel “with everything on” than to do it by bus or by plane and send his work in specialized transport.

Once in Córdoba, and three days before the opening, there will be a second selection of material, which is “sent” by the four rooms assigned by the museum and the assembly that will be carried out without a prior plan in close relationship with the artist and local manager. Aníbal Buede –in the role of curator–, to whom Langer attributes “a disruptive look” and a good part of the motivation for the exhibition he wanted to do outside the Argentine capital to be in Córdoba.

“It will be like a performance,” Sergio announces, and the snide laughter appears again, barely veiled. I have ideas and I have the boxes, the works. The sample will be what appears there with everything I carry. But since I am used to working under pressure, everything will fall into place.”

The sample

The inauguration of “Zoolanger”, the move to Córdoba of a large part of the Langer multiverse, will be on Thursday, May 2, at 7 p.m., at the Genaro Pérez museum, with the artist’s active presence.