Between diversity and exclusion: dilemmas in the aestheticization of the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Abasto

Abstract

The objective of this article is to discuss some of the trends in cultural policy instrumented by public power in Buenos Aires. In particular, my analysis will reconsider the scope of several actions taken in the specific neighborhood of Abasto. The Abasto neighborhood is a paradigmatic case for reflecting on the direction of certain cultural policies in the city of Buenos Aires because of the singular way of thinking and making the city expressed in it. According to a hegemonic perspective, culture seems to be a good exclusive to the middle sectors: those who enjoy the activities offered are the ones who deserve to live in this embellished neighborhood. The official conception of culture is incompatible with the agenda of the most neglected sectors or, as Appadurai (2001) suggestively defines them, partial citizens. What is cultural-historical-patrimonial is experienced as authentic, unique, and irreplaceable, above any social aim, which is considered contingent, massive, and thus, interchangeable.