“Going to Spain was spectacular,” says Guillermo Galetti from his home in Villa La Angustura. It is not minor, this oneartist, who became from Neuquén, was invited by one of the most watched programs on Spanish TV: El Hormiguerothe renowned program hosted by Pablo Motos and featuring artists from Lali Espósito to Tom Cruise. The going was great, the return not so much. Guillermo Galetti He went from living one of the best moments of his career to meet with an exorbitant figure to be able to bring their own works into the country.
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Guillermo Gatti He went through many professions in his life. He was a lifeguard, a primary school teacher, he worked in a gym, in a pool, in construction, but he always liked to play. In all stages of your life Do you have any anecdotes about having made something, sometimes useful, other times unnecessary. Today he is a secondary school teacher and in his free time he displays his being: “scrap thief.”
Guillermo is a technical teacher at a school. Since he was a child he was fascinated by putting things together, exploring with elements, putting together figures, playing with materials. “It’s something that comes from a very young age, making my own toys,” he says. He grew up far from the city, on a farm. His father was a metallurgist, and the trade ran in the family. “I always had the creative side“, he says, “I had stimuli, time and ability to do it”.
Being a scrap artist is not your job.. He is a physical education teacher, he teaches at a technical school in Villa la Angostura. He comes and goes with his Aurorita bicycle, With a basket behind him, he collects scrap metal and creates cartoons. Some have a practical purpose, others are more conceptual, others artistic. His work is wide and varied, he even created a prosthesis with recycled plastic. “I am a very low-profile person,” she says, “with very meager economic resources, I made my house with my wife with a lot of effort.” That’s why, the debt contracted by the customs of 1600 dollars was quite a headache.
Works delayed at customs:
The invitation to the Spanish TV program It came to you via private message. on his Instagram account. The production of El Hormiguero invited him to exhibit his works of art. «They took care of all the expenses. They invited me to the program and they paid for my transfers, lodging and meals.«He says, «It was spectacular.»
“Of the management was responsible for the production of the program“, he explains, “the agreement was that the works would be removed from my home and that was how it was.” But On his return he found the problem. Customs He withheld his works and demanded that he pay in dollars to enter his own creations.
William He took advantage of social networks and told the situation. In a reel he said: “I need to share with you an absolutely unfair and sad situation.” Do you remember those works, my works that we took to Spain to show in the El Hormiguero program, with an absolutely cultural, artistic, recreational purpose? They returned to the Argentina and They were stranded at Customs«. Between fees, hiring an importing firm, a Customs broker, payment of tribute and payment of storage of the fiscal deposit the account gave him 1600 dollars. “Feel very disappointed and I feel very hurt. I would love to at least have the option of asking that the works be destroyed, I don’t want them to be retained, I want them to be destroyed, to return anywhere, donate them, melt them, I don’t care,” he concluded.
The good news is that the production of the program will be responsible for the amount to be paid to the Customs. “Today I made a power of attorney to authorize the managers, but until the works are in my house“I can’t stay calm.”
“It is true that Customs has its regulations“s” Guillermo reflects, “but what bothered me was the lack of efficiency, of wanting to resolve these issues, There is nothing oiled, it is highly bureaucratized. He gave me a lot of anger, I didn’t owe anyone anythingnothing had an onerous end, I went to to represent Argentina culturally to Europe and the return was: you are importing art and you have to pay.”
In total they are five works that Guillermo is missing. “Although there is little left, but I will consider this fixed when I have them in the workshop.”
What are the works of the Junk Thief:
William’s works arise from the need to play“of a rebellion,” he explains, “that we are pondering the artificial and they are atrophying us. “That bothers and worries me.” Therefore, all the pieces of it have a invitation to touch, to see, to act, to get involved with the piece, to experiment.
“Through the art, camouflage something deeper“, he continues, “I think we are letting ourselves be clouded, marvel at issues that come to replace our own capabilities. For example, artificial intelligence is being introduced in advance and without much analysis. “We are opening the doors without being critical enough.”
William It goes against standardized training. It seeks to make the process of play and entertainment the rule. “We all talk about the importance of processes, and the truth is that we are all ignoring the process, the question we ask in the chat matters, that we quickly access the information, travel from the path, the traces it generates, are left aside”.
Another premise of Guillermo is: “What is not used, atrophies”. That is why the raw material for his works is scrap metal. And he turns them into a “future avenger ball bug”, an “Olympic catapult”, a cyclist, a rocker, a swimmer or a any creature that comes across through your imagination.
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“We live in a time when the diversity of options is the widest ever, but that is not the case, is it?How we spend our leisure time or free time?”, he asks and answers, “you have very limited options and we are losing a lot of possibilities“The psychomotor skills, the emotions, the senses, we are leaving them aside, and we give attention to something that is an artifice.”
“One has to learn to do and make mistakes“, says Guillermo, that is why his works force us to get involved, to play, to think about them by stage, to approach them. Four years ago I didn’t even have WhatsAppToday he has more than a thousand followers on his Instagram account. “I had to get advice and learn,” she says, just like his own works, at 41 years old. Guillermo continues learning. He tests, he experiments, he plays.
