Argentina: Olivia Ligman (Learning on Excursions)

Learning on Excursions

Although most of my program takes place in Buenos Aires, my classmates and I got the wonderful chance to visit one of the many estancias, similar to ranches, outside of the city limits. As my class had been discussing the rich history of the gauchos in Argentina, we were able to see this iconic and important culture being practiced today.

Our first stop was in the small town of San Antonio de Areco. An amazing local artist, Miguelangel Gasparini, showed us his building, which was an artistic and historical tribute to gaucho history and culture. With a large mural depicting the history of the town,  uniquely blended paintings portraying the interconnectedness of the gaucho to his horse, to mate, and to the pampas, and the authentic gaucho tools, it was a work of love and admiration. Gasparini told us the history of San Antonio de Areco, and even did an impromptu drawing of a horse on the pampa for us!

After seeing Gasparini’s artwork and the preserved tools of the gauchos, we were given a tour of the Ricardo Güiraldes museum, which showcased Güiraldes’ books, and many other pieces of gaucho history, such as belts, saddles, paintings, and mates. There was even a model of a pulpería from the 1800s, which was similar to a general store of the old American West.

After our tour of the museum, we continued our journey to our last stop of the day. We were greeted by a gaucho on horseback, holding the Argentinian flag, guiding our van bumping along the unpaved driveway to the estancia, with tasty empanadas de carne awaiting us. The landscape was much like those described in the literature we’d been reading. The pampas, or the wide open plains of Argentina, expanded to the horizon. Referenced throughout the gauchoesque genre, we were able to see the landscapes that had, and continue to, inspire many Argentinian writers, artists, and of course, gauchos.

I learned a lot about how the rich gaucho culture remains practiced today, from learning a traditional dance, to seeing a gaucho perform a demonstration of horse taming, it was enriching and brought to life many aspects of gaucho life that we’d read. Much like the expanses of the pampas, my appreciation for this experience is endless!

Olivia Ligman

Majors: African Cultural Studies, International Studies

Hometown: Amherst, Wisconsin

Program: UW Activism through the Arts, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Being a recipient of the Chris & Suzy (Oldorf) DeWolf Family Global Launch Scholarship means so much to me. This scholarship will allow me to study abroad, which I previously did not think was going to be possible. The scholarship has given me a tremendous opportunity and strengthened my confidence to truly invest in myself and keep my big dreams aloft!

My academic goals for this program are to engage more deeply with the intersection between art and political experience. I would like to learn more about how art has been, and continues to be, utilized as a tool of civic communication, resistance, and discourse. I am very interested in labor history, state violence resistance, and queer movements, so I think this course offers a very valuable insight into Argentinian activism and may intersect or correspond with these interests as well.

I really look forward to learning more about the unique arts culture within Buenos Aires. As a large multicultural metropolis, and with the theme of the program, I’m more than excited to explore Buenos Aires museums, streets, and galleries.