For the third time the mural of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo by the renowned Neuquén artist, Elisa Algranati, woke up vandalized, insulted. a swastika appeared on the face of the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo, on one of the walls of the National Highway Headquarters, on Tucumán Street, in Neuquén capital. That’s not new, in fact, Rio Negro Newspaper He told it here. The novelty is that, Without wasting time, the artist got to work and rebuilt it.
As it was learned, the swastika was painted during the day of March 24Memorial Day and in which the claim for the “Never Again” of the genocide produced by the last civil-military dictatorship. This mural is part of an open-air collection of other murals, requested by the Nation in 2021 in different provinces. For the one in Neuquén they chose Algranati, who has a track record in creating murals about the Human rights. That’s why, On the wall he painted the soldier Carrasco, Sergio Ávalos, Carlos Fuentealba, Jaime De Nevares and the Mothers of Plaza de Mayo.
«It is a cultural battle, really the theme is what bothers and they have repeatedly put swastikas on the mothers’ faces.explains the artist, «It’s the third time I’m restoring this mural. The first attack that the mural suffered was a year after being painted, in 2022; the second in October 2023 in the middle of the presidential election campaign and the third, this March 24, 2024.
This year Elisa addressed the restoration with a group of artists of “women and memory”, that come painting walls to make visible issues around human rights and women victims of femicide in western Neuquén.
The artist claims that the Justice carry out an investigation because it is not fortuitous that all three times it was the same symbol and the same method. «It is very dangerous for this to happen because always The attacks They point to demonstrations that They claim the fight for Human Rights. It is clearly a attack on the Memory and history of Argentina. I don’t take it personally because once the mural is finished, it no longer belongs to me, but is part of the entire community. So this attack is also against the community of Neuquén,” he added.
They restored the mural of Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo in Neuquén. Photo: Cecilia Maletti
How was the restoration
The mural is varnished, has a care process. For this reason, it cost its restoration. But, the artist assures that they will restore it «as many times as necessary. “This is a cultural battle.” And he explains: «this goes beyond vandalism. Why swastika symbolism is very terrible, very unpleasant. And more about the faces of the Mothers of May. If you have to restore it 500 times, you will have to go with the brushes and restore it.
They restored the mural of Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo in Neuquén. Photo: Cecilia Maletti