RHEINFELDEN. The artist Bettina Costa from Rheinfelden now also has a public artwork at a prominent location in Budapest. This was commissioned by the Argentine Embassy. It is located on the pavement of the avenue «Andrássy út», which belongs to the Unesco World Heritage, directly in front of the Argentine Embassy. The «Vereda» (Argentinian for pavement) was officially inaugurated by the Minister of Culture of the City of Budapest and the Argentine Ambassador. The «Vereda del Tango Argentino – Km 11939» shows the basic steps of tango. The kilometer refers to the distance to a vereda in Buenos Aires taken as reference. Since 2016 the «Vereda del Tango – Km 11255» is located in Rheinfelden at the Kurbrunnenanlage. In 2018 the artist participated in the Art Market Budapest with the gallery a-space. This is one of the most important art fairs in Eastern Europe. The Argentine Ambassador was so enthusiastic when he saw photos of the vereda in Rheinfelden, that he decided that he absolutely wanted one in front of his residence in Budapest. After long planning and two days of work, this amusing artwork can now be danced.
Bettina Costa was able to realize her artwork in front of the Argentine Embassy in Budapest. Photo: Bettina Costa
Tango is included in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists of neighbouring South American countries Argentina and Uruguay. This is the explanation for the mysterious footprints that appeared on the pavement outside the Argentine Ambassador’s Residence at 96 Andrássy út. The idea is that the pedestrians practise the eight basic steps of the dance right there on the spot, as it could be seen at the inauguration of the artwork on August 26, 2019.
The Ambassador of Argentina, Maximiliano Gregorio-Cernadas (1º from left) and the visual artist Bettina Costa (3º from left) at the unveiling
These «Veredas del Tango» or «Sidewalks of Tango» are to be found in various districts of the Argentine capital city Buenos Aires and have become a symbol of the «City of Tango». The most famous Vereda, identified with «Km 0» is found at Avenida Callao 1078. The creation of Bettina Costa, the Budapest’s own «Vereda del Tango» is exactly 11939 kilometres away and thus has been designated with «Km 11939».
I was born in Argentina, the cradle of tango, however I never paid much attention to this part of my culture. I considered tango as something «for old people». I never thought I’d ever be interested in tango until I emigrated.
Costa explains: «At the beginning of the 20th century, Argentina was full of immigrants seeking their fortune and hoping to return to Europe or bring their families across the ocean. The tango lyrics reflect the deep feeling of loss of these immigrants and the nostalgia for the people and places they left behind. Tango helped them to forget their worries.»
I am also an immigrant; I came to Switzerland for a quite different reason. I was never homesick but perhaps unconsciously I was looking for something not to lose my roots. With tango, I found it.
The past few years she has dealt intensively with the subject tango. Besides painting, she began to work with collages and stencils, the latter influenced by street art. In 2016 she decided to implement the tango variations much more conceptually and went for the first time away from the walls with the project «Vereda del Tango».
The first «Vereda del Tango» outside Argentina is in Rheinfelden, Switzerland, exactly 11255 kilometres away from the «Vereda del Tango – Km 0» in Buenos Aires.
Then followed carpet installations: shoe-shapes cut on carpet and arranged showing the tango steps, placed on the floor or on a wall. During the Art Basel week 2017 she presented the project «Cancha de Tango»: a rectangular rolling-grass area on the gravel showing the tango steps. The steps were marked with whiting spray like in any playing field or «cancha» (Spanish for playing field).
During the Art Market Budapest she presented the installation «Tangország»: tango steps cut on carpet and applied half on the wall, half on the floor. Additionally there was an unofficial «Vereda del Tango» outside which invited the visitors to the fair to try some tango steps.
But don’t worry people of Budapest: the artwork at 96 Andrássy út is painted on the pavement and is slip-resistant.
Created by the Argentine artist Bettina Costa, the artwork on the asphalt of Budapest recalls the eight basic steps of tango in the streets of Buenos Aires.
Anyone who has ever walked through Buenos Aires has probably come across a «Vereda del Tango».
With this representation on the asphalt that symbolizes the eight basic steps of dance, anyone can learn to dance tango or, at least, try to.
The «Veredas del Tango» are found in various districts of Buenos Aires and they are the symbol of the «City of Tango». They are meant to encourage people to practice a few tango steps. The most famous vereda is located on Avenida Callao 1078 in Buenos Aires and carries «Km 0» as identification.
Vereda del Tango at 96 Andrássy Avenue (Photo / Source: Bettina Costa)
With the project «Vereda del Tango – Km 11939», the artist Bettina Costa tries to reproduce the tango atmosphere in Budapest. In front of the Argentine Embassy, at 96 Andrássy Avenue, she painted the hungarian version of a «Vereda del Tango».
It is identified with «Km 11939» because it is exactly at this distance from the «Vereda del Tango – Km 0».
Bettina Costa was born in Argentina; the cradle of tango. However she never paid much attention to this part of her culture. She considered tango as something «for old people». She was never interested in tango until she emigrated.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Argentina was full of immigrants seeking their fortune in that country and hoping to return to Europe or bring their families across the ocean.
The tango lyrics reflect the deep feeling of loss of these immigrants and the nostalgia for the people and places they left behind. Tango helped them to forget their worries.
I am also an immigrant; I came to Switzerland for a quite different reason. I was never homesick, but perhaps unconsciously I was looking for something not to lose my roots. With tango, I found it.
The last few years the artist have intensively dealt with the subject tango. Besides painting, she began to work with collages and stencils, the latter influenced by street art.
The first «Vereda del Tango» outside from Argentina is located in Rheinfelden, Switzerland, exactly 11255 Km away from the «Vereda del Tango – Km 0» in Buenos Aires.
Then, followed carpet installations: shoe-shapes cut on carpet and placed on the floor or on a wall; during the Art Basel week 2017 the project «Cancha de Tango»: tango steps marked with whiting spray on rolling-grass or the installation «Tangország» last year during the Art Market Budapest.
From August 26, anyone can try the Vereda del Tango at 96 Andrássy Avenue!
Pieces of art are contemporary witnesses; they are reflections of the respective cultural policy, the spirit of the time and the understanding of art. After 6 years, it was time to revise the first map of art of the city. In addition to sculptures, statues and stained glass windows, paintings and buildings are now also listed. Some objects have been in their places for decades, others were just recently added; some are part of the cityscape, others are hardly consciously noticed; pieces of art by «amateurs» are just as present as those by (locally, regionally and world-) renowned artists; and there is art to discover not only in the old town, but also outside the city walls.
The city map «Art and Architecture in Rheinfelden» contains a subjective selection, without wanting to make an art-historical assessment and without taking into account urban planning or spatial design aspects.
NEUE FRICKTALER ZEITUNG (Newspaper of Frick valley, Switzerland) (excerpt)
Argentine-born autodidact Bettina Costa opens up new perspectives with her photo collages of Rheinfelden: well-known buildings of the town appear in fantastically alienated settings. The Salmenpark is under water, surfers circle the malt tower. Or: in the middle of the old town, a previously non-existent railway track leads into the darkness of an inconspicuous barn. An Argentinian-Swiss tango of humorous surrealities.
«Let’s talk about art» is the motto of 4th edition of the cross-border exhibition «kunst lokal rheinfelden». Dora Freiermuth from Laufenburg shows objects that convey an amazing illusion of reality. Bettina Costa, artist from Rheinfelden, born in Argentina, deals with her place of residence in a humorously provocative way. She wants to show striking corners of the «Zähringer» town in a different way: as absurd or grotesque backdrops. Her photo collages «Rheinfelden Surreal» are an invitation to rediscover the town.
In addition to discourses on art and conversations with artists, the focus is on local references. Questions about identity and localisation, about society and its responsibility are on the agenda.
AARGAUER ZEITUNG (Leading regional newspaper of the Canton of Aargau, Switzerland)
«Let’s talk about art» is the motto of 4th edition of the cross-border exhibition «kunst lokal rheinfelden». Dora Freiermuth from Laufenburg shows objects that convey an amazing illusion of reality. Bettina Costa, artist from Rheinfelden, born in Argentina, deals with her place of residence in a humorously provocative way. She wants to show striking corners of the «Zähringer» town in a different way: as absurd or grotesque backdrops. Her photo collages «Rheinfelden Surreal» are an invitation to rediscover the town.
In addition to discourses on art and conversations with artists, the focus is on local references. Questions about identity and localisation, about society and its responsibility are on the agenda.
At this year’s Art Market Budapest (Contemporary Art Fair) we followed tango steps ascending the wall, found a metal Jesus, and discovered that Hungarian buildings moving under the glass-sealed works of a Scottish photographer. We did a tour through the art fair, opened from 11 to 14 October, and we show you what we would take home.
Zsuzsa Borbély , Ádám Szabó , András Várhegyi 11.10.2018. 8.55
Tango school
The basic tango steps painted on the streets of Buenos Aires served as inspiration for Bettina Costa’s installation: carpet-made footprints placed, due to lack of space, on the wall. The first installation was painted in Switzerland, exactly 11255 km away from the artist’s home country. Then followed other street and a lawn version. The work also has a musical component: from under the paving stones sounds Tango. For 200 euros only the footprints are included, not the installation itself; that means that the buyer is free to place the pieces himself. But then, he must not forget to change the music.
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