A Different Kind of Cattle Show at La Rural

I spent Tuesday afternoon at La Rural, observing a different kind of meat market from the usual agricultural shows that have been held there for a century. This was the Salón del Mercado Inmobiliario -- a real estate market show, where all the big property developers in Buenos Aires showed their wares, hoping to entice investors and tenants. I was invited to observe and help out at the booth of Basta de Demoler, the only real activist preservation group in town which, as its name indicates, tries to stop demolition of historic buildings in the center of the city. It they who were instrumental in getting Buenos Aires listed on the World Monument Fund "Watch" list. It was not clear what they hoped to accomplish here, but they were able to speak with a series of city and national ministers who were on hand to open the exhibition and brag about all the good they were doing for historic preservation.

The wares were neatly divided into two standard fares: the high-rose apartment building in Buenos Aires and the "countries" in the north delta area -- Tigre and beyond, where the grandest homes and country clubs are. Since the 1990s, Buenos Aires has had its own gated community boom, expertly analyzed by Nora Libertun (and which I hope to tour with her in a few weeks) which seems to be continuing. My Spanish teacher, Tatiana, grew up visiting these places on weekends (the "countries" used to really be "the country," i.e. where families from Buenos Aires might have a small cottage to escape to on weekends) and her description of what they have become sounds remarkably like wealthy suburbs across the U.S.

It was a standard trade show in many ways, with each stand trying to out do the next. The common denominator was using sex to sell real estate (apologies to Marjorie Garber). Each place -- booth doesn't do justice to the 15-foot high constructions each real estate company put together -- made sure to feature beautiful young women in clothing more appropriate to a fashion show, or worse. My favorite was the putting green, staffed by some helpful young women.