In the Recoleta borough , hold by the iregularity of a grade ground, aromatized by the great variety of trees and shrubs, sorroundered by too many different phrases and codes, it is mounted since 30 years ago, the Plaza Francia’s artsman fair. A crosswalk of cultural roads, Museums of art, expositions stores, Cultural Center and historic places between others, all together compose with the Artsman Fair, a very enrichment equilibry.

This Fair, formed by artsmen who don´t avoid to incorporate to their works the identity of the original folks, the feelings of the authentic urban sthetic where they have been borned and the comunication through the objetcs, explains the eclectic of this creative fact. So, it doesn’t result arbitrary, to find the relationship between a soft and transparent glass recipient and a metal corsage with subreality reminiscence. The wishes of the artsmen of this fairs don’t finish in the remarks of their works, besides each artsman produces his own genuine language adding to the design owns resonances and other´s ones, learning their works in home workshops or interchanging with the others, this is the reason why it´s vry important to build their own ideological appliances, their ethical fundament and the ways to develope this feeling as a colective maner with the only purpose to promote this cultural activity which engage their lifes. If the Globalization has erased in a very significant way at same time of the Neoliberalism leaving people without his identity and without social ownings, depending of the diffusion methods established by the Goverment, this doesn´t happens with the urban arstmen thoughts.

When you visit an artsmen fair in Buenos Aires City, besides of enjoying the desings and identity samples, you will get in touch with thoughts and manifestations of the “porteña culture” and the direct interchange with the artsman.

Every weekend we invite you to participate of this meeting in which we are all part of it.
It´s known that history is written by the winners. In this case history, since the the artsmen fairs appeared is written by us, the “Plaza Francia´s artsmen”, the hippies, the rebellious, the without fact, the revolutioners... and others adjectives which we honestly support.

All started at the end of 1970, a little group of “mads” began to put on the floor their products, at the back of the ancient house “Viamonte” settled at Libertador and Pueyrredón Street.

During the first two years there was no control on this matter. Later on, the arquitect José María Peña, at that moment Director of the Buenos Aires’ Museum, was the designed person to regularize such event, exlusive for his way of showing and direct contact with the visitors. People, in some way, admired the election of life of those few mads, ones tried to dress like them with very coloured clothes and accesories.

In 1974 it was stablished the Order nº 28072, which fixed the spaces for Plaza Francia, Plaza San Martín and Plaza Belgrano.

With the military hit in 1976, the artsmen of Plaza Francia were moved to the side of Del Pilar Church where it was supposed it wouldn´t stay for a long time, when the blessed parson talked in a loud voice to the military authorities, the rebellious were pushed to Vicente Lopez and Junín Street, to the side of the Recoleta Cementary (“as to relax ereveryone in piece”), meanwhile Plaza San Martín and Plaza Belgrano were picked up definitevely in a very agresive way. Someones were placed at the side of Plaza Flores, someones were retired and others were “dissappeared”.

After two years (1978, and when the wall spread with blood and torture) again the remaining artsmen, is to say the ones who honestly supported, were moved to Plaza Italia, the only artsmen fair that ramained through the dictatorship years.

When Democracy came in 1984, it was announced a control (the evaluation of each work of the artsman according to existing rules which calify the artsman to work in this activity) in the Recoleta Cultural Center. About 5.000 persons were present at that moment in six stages divided in: ceramic, leather, wood, metal, cloth, various and plastic art.

Ten controllers, the moyority of them artsmen from Plaza Italia, and the rest plastic artists (some of them of real “plastic”), did the hard task to control all the products presented. These were exposed in “El Patio de Los Naranjos” on the floor, like in the old times. The calification was taken from 1 to 10, it was summed up, and then they obtained a final average. The best results had the possibilitiy to choose the Fair to go into, once completed the elected one they proceeded to continue with another Fair.

Also were reopen Plaza Francia, Belgrano and Lezama and inaugurated for first time Parque Centenario and Plaza Housey (From Monday to Friday); Vuelta de Rocha (Saturday, Sundays and Festivity Days), in a few years it is added Vuelta de Rocha (Wednesday and Friday´s).

Were open also Parque Chacabuco and Plaza Güemes but these ones had not success and the artsmen were placed between the different fairs.

So, in this way, we began to walk once again.

In 1990 municipal goverment officers made a cruel intervention to Plaza Francia, a group of artsmen from different fairs gathered and put resistence to the official goverment obtaining in two years redaction and agreement with signment of the unique law made by the artsmen, the orden Nº 46075 which nowadays is in force, being declared of municipal interest, voted by and approoved for all the parlamentary blocks from different parties which is not to say a few things.

During all these years we were excluded from all cultural events organized by the goverment, but we are very sure that 37 years were not in vain, in spite the road was and still is sinuous it means that we are continuing walking. It´s a signal that you and us interchanging and holding this utopian.

The Artsmen Fair Plaza Francia, as always, says WELLCOME.