2024-08-20 21:35:59
The change in the benefits matrix of the National Endowment for the Arts (FNA) was the axis around which the presentation of the 2024 Development Lines orbited, which took place this Tuesday in the dome of the Kirchner Cultural Center (renamed by the Mileísta administration as the Palacio Libertad), “an emblematic place that will soon become the headquarters of the Domingo Faustino Sarmiento Cultural Center, a true hero of our country,” proclaimed the Secretary of Culture of the Nation, Leonardo Cifelliin his welcoming words. “I am very happy to see among those present so many people committed to this cultural battle which we assumed in December 2023 together with the President of the Nation, Javier Milei, and the General Secretary of the Presidency, Karina Milei,” he said.
It should be noted that this “cultural battle” initially consisted of a bill (the first document of the so-called Ley Bases) that attempted to dissolve organizations such as the FNA or the INT. This newspaper covered an embrace of the institution in which the artistic community rejected that initiative. The administration had to back down, but in the meantime there were several appointments, interim positions and resignations (such as that of Javier Torre), until he became president. Tulio Andreussi Guzmanwho was responsible for communicating what the main objectives of the management will be.
Cifelli spoke of the desire to turn the State into a “facilitator of dreams” and not a “barrier”, thanked the Minister of Human Capital –Sandra Pettovello– and reported: “Together with the minister Federico Sturzenegger We are working to remove all the obstacles that today prevent you from being protagonists in the international art market.” But the most illustrative definition in relation to the new lines of promotion was given by Andreussi, who remarked: “The FNA must be understood as a financial entity to support and promote the arts throughout Argentina.” It is from this perspective that the changes within the organization must be read. The president cited decree 1224/58 and focused on the granting of credits for artistic and cultural activities, their dissemination abroad, and the administration, supervision and distribution of income obtained through the promotion laws.
From this management matrix, Competitions, scholarships and grants are conceived as “complementary activities” and, therefore, have a smaller budget today.. At this point, it is worth asking whether the reality of the Argentine cultural field and the much-mentioned “arts market” is the same as it was 66 years ago, when the Fund was created. Another interesting point is the model that Andreussi uses as a reference: in his presentation he mentioned Juan Carlos Pinasco (1958-1973, first administration during Aramburu’s presidency) and Amalia Lacroze de Fortabat, who was in charge between 1992 and 2002 during the Menem administration.
“In the last years of management, it happened that the benefits called complementary activities became the main activities of the Fund. The scholarships began to take on a lot of importance and to demand a lot of income, and a subsidy policy that was not correct left the Fund in a weak position,” the official determined by way of an assessment. Andreussi explained that he found “a headless organization in which all the directors had resigned, a disorganized structure and serious financial problems.” Faced with this situation, he decided to implement an “internal review,” several “restructurings” and a reduction of operating costs by 30%. “This reduction is to be able to pour all that money into culture again,” he assured.
Among the objectives outlined by the administration are the supervision of resources, the enhancement of the heritage of the Victoria Ocampo house and the Alsina headquarters, the reactivation of the Clorindo Testa room for emerging artists and a sustained growth of the organization. Santiago Valentino, manager of Planning and Cultural Services, was the one who presented the 2024 Lines of Promotion and reported that a 68,89% ($516,356,128) of the resources to loansand 20,06% ($150.400.000) to scholarshipsand 8,95% ($67.065.000) to awards and a 2,10% ($15.727.481) to subsidies. In line with Nación, the management of the FNA is presented as a management that aims at “efficiency and sustainability” with a solid basis in figures and quantitative aspects. However, when talking about the number of benefits, Valentino emphasizes: “Rather than asking ourselves how many benefits or benefits we are going to give, now the question would be so that“.
This year the focus will be on the loansnow discriminated according to their destination: to cultural projects, to individuals (artists) and to legal entities (companies linked to the artistic-cultural sector). The latter is a novelty and its evolution will have to be closely monitored considering the controversial background of programs such as the Technological District created by Carlos Pirovano in CABA, which included in its registry companies that did not fit the characteristics of the activity or entered with forceps. The limit for loans destined to individuals will be $10 million and for legal entities $20 million (with an annual rate of 0% adjusted by Purchasing Power Units, up to 36 or 48 monthly installments depending on the amount). “Requesting a loan from the Fund has a value in itself. It is a sign of mutual trust,” stressed Valentino.
Regarding scholarships, the traditional ones have already been launched. Creation Scholarships to support and strengthen artistic-cultural creation and research projects: there will be around 200, registration will be open until September 19 and there will be $850 thousand for individual scholarships and $1 million for group scholarships. On the other hand, the Trainers Program Aimed at training and capacity building in cultural areas: registration will be open until September 24 and there will be $600,000 for individual projects and $800,000 for group projects.
Los subsidies The projects will be launched in mid-September, will be aimed at non-profit civil organizations and the projects will be selected through a competition (the cap is $2 million). The contests There will be three new proposals in the areas of Literature (until September 10), Academic Music, Dramaturgy and Independent Publishing Houses, and there will be three new proposals: Curatorial Projects, Revaluation of Cemeteries and Temples, and the “Registered Art” Short Film Project. The amounts will be the same for all: $1 million for 1st place, $750 thousand for 2nd place and $500 thousand for 3rd place.
At the event, the Board of Directors was officially presented, made up of: Marcelo Eugenio Griffi (Central Bank) and Gaston Pulero (Ministry of Culture), Mauricio Wainrot (Performing Arts and Dance), Maria Silvia Corcuera (Plastic Arts), Juan Antonio Lazara (Letters, Heritage, Radio and Television), Marcelo Nougues (Architecture), Miguel Pereira (Cine), Teresa Anchorena (Heritage and Crafts) and Guillermo Scarabino (Music), whose positions are to honor and will last four years.