For the first time in almost four decades, the members of the Group of Self-taught Doll Artists (GAAM) Drako They decided not to make their traditional New Year’s doll in 13 and 72. “We get discouraged”they stated through a statement that they spread on their social networks.
The text caused great discomfort in thousands of people from La Plata who came to the traditional corner to admire and enjoy the burning of momos designed and built by the collective. Although the group was formed in 2001, the Sochanowicz family began in the ritual with the return of democracy.
The momo that inaugurated the La Plata tradition was built at the beginning of the ’50s at the corner of 10 and 40, and the practice spread throughout the square city until 1976: with the military civic dictatorship the traditional festivities were suspended. The first one that the father put together Victor, Martin Y mariana followed the pattern of the time. Made of cloth, stuffed with leaves and grass, a kind of scarecrow that burned in front of his house, in 77 between 13 and 14.
The children followed the legacy and perfected the techniques. One of the works featured a waterfall and then they incorporated movement. Members joined, until they reached the band of boys and adults -merchants, state workers, a policeman and even a roofer-, led by the six historic ones who decided to name the space after the dragon hunter who starred in the eldest doll. having as a beacon Daniel Marozzi -who in 1999 made his friends sing and play beatles of papier-mâché in 8 and 79-, his creations came to life. They not only managed to get around, but also started talking and leaving a message.
The name of the group was from the first doll they made in 2001, “Drako the Dragon Slayer”. The momos interpret mythologies and historical facts in their themes since they seek, in addition to entertaining, to educate the youngest.
The GAAM Drako interventions are characterized by being large, where moving characters coexist and interact with each other. To achieve this result, the members usually work throughout the year, dividing up the tasks and collecting the materials, either donated or bought through the sale of merchandising.
Some of his most remembered and awarded momos are: “Diluvihus, el Arca de Noé” (2009); “Judas, the betrayal” (2008); “The Age of Caves” (2007); “Creation: divine vision” (2006); “Ayreon, the living legend” (2005); “Xelenne, princess of the seas” (2004); “Elenion, the fairy of dreams” (2003); and “Medusa” (2002).
BYE OR SEE YOU LATER?
The truth is that, last Monday, the members of GAAM Drako released an extensive statement in which they indicated that one of the reasons that led them not to make a doll this year was the little interest shown by the Municipality of La Plata to assist people who work hard to keep alive one of the most representative traditions of the city.
“We want by this means to communicate to our loyal followers that the time has come to take a break, take a break, shuffle and give again. We are not going to talk about the effort that it means to carry out our work because you already know it”stands out in the text.
As they explained, this decision has nothing to do with the economic and physical expense that the construction of each New Year’s Eve doll demands. “This is not a business from which we live. It is only maintaining a dream at the end of the year, a tradition of its own and representative of the city, continuing with a ritual that in our case has been going on for 40 years (and for this we suspended a great project). The idea is to continue keeping the flame burning for a while longer or say goodbye perhaps with a doll and meet all of you again,” they stressed.
However, they stated that for several years they feel that all the work done on the iconic corner of 13 and 72 “He has been mistreated and neglected” and they pointed against the current municipal management. “We could with the time to finish each project, we could with the costs to carry it out, we could with the setting up and organization of the days on the street, but there is something that with which we never could and for which we found ourselves demotivated in this new opportunity to make a new creation, and it is nothing more and nothing less than with our municipal authorities “they completed.
In another passage of the text, the members of Drako remarked that the Commune presented “A disinterested, combative, threatening and negative posture. We always kept quiet, a little for fear of the consequences, a little so that all the people who were waiting for a new show would not witness scenes of discussions that had nothing to do with the spirit of the event and, therefore, of the group”they maintained, while emphasizing that “these ‘disagreements’ always occurred with the doll already installed, that is, all the scenery set up, the stage, the lights, the sound and the bands summoned.”
As an example, they recalled that last year one or more Citizen Watch mobiles appeared at the place of the doll to close the event after noticing the presence of a musical band. “Last year the argument was ‘artistic manifestations are not allowed’, as if the doll itself was not. And there the negotiations again (always with all the people waiting for the doll show to start and it was delayed for that reason)”they indicated.
In this sense, they clarified that “if something we are not going to be is to be improvised, that is why we always state that the rules of the game are established beforehand” and considered that “it would be much better if these rules were part of a consensual project and over time necessary to establish agreements and reach agreements. Luckily we are calm, patient and highly educated people but we are also entire families working, and our children and nephews grew up seeing how their parents / uncles saw how uniformed officers treated them as, for their head of a child, like delinquents”, they completed.
In turn, the group expressed that they experienced many beautiful things and felt “The expressions of affection, the words of love and the strength that they have given us, that we tried to put these events aside and perhaps be forgotten” but, despite everything, they affirmed: “Despondency won us”.
On the other hand, they said that they expected visits from the municipal authorities to the corner of 13 and 72 “even when we competed and had the happiness of being awarded. The mayor never received us. We have taken many children to live that moment, hoping to enter their office and give what they did with so much love the deserved respect and importance that we wanted. They changed the awarding place for the Passage and the children asked for the mayor to meet him, hoping to tell him how they worked to get to make the emblematic dolls, they wanted to tell him how they stopped spending time on devices to get dirty with glue and interact with friends”they commented.
In another passage, they criticized Garro for the lack of interest in this type of activity that is part of the DNA of La Plata. “Perhaps the mayor does not know how much we would have liked a visit to our shed and that of other doll makers and to share some chats. The truth is that we also expect a sincere show of gratitude for what we do. We dreamed that he would tell us :’guys, what do you need? How can the Municipality help you?’. Every end of the year with temperatures of more than 31 degrees, we always ask for a water tank to refresh ourselves, an ambulance in the area and a fire truck. But we were always alone and so far, luckily, nothing ever happened to us,” they completed.
Continuing with this line, the members of Drako revealed that they were struck by the fact that they did not have security devices on the days of the burning. “There was never any riot or misfortune to regret, and that thanks to the people who behaved well. But if something happens, the piper is paid by the group and the person who makes her sign as responsible,” they said, while clarifying : We are decent people with family and work, we are only pursuing a dream to maintain a standing tradition and encourage other groups, the kids of the city and continue and advance. Is the city of La Plata on track to stop being the city of the dolls? We don’t know, it no longer depends on us or the kid”.
As for the future of burning New Year’s momos, they opined that “the flame will continue to burn in the hearts of all who love this, as much as we do.” “Our eternal gratitude to the people of La Plata and other places who are finding out about everything that happened years ago and tells us so many beautiful things that fill us with love,” the statement closes.
