'The Rupture': the conference that analyzes María Elena Walsh's work from the perspective of feminism, poetry, and journalism.

Much of the life and work of María Elena Walsh (1930-2011) will be analyzed based on four central themes that define her: children's literature , poetry , feminism , and journalism . The most interesting aspect is that, for the first time, the popular, multifaceted Argentine artist will be approached from a unique perspective: from an academic perspective.

Thus, La Ruptura , a National Academic Conference, was born from June 10 to 13 at the Mariano Moreno National Library. Academics and universities from across the country, artists, cultural figures, and renowned journalists will participate both in person and via streaming, to commemorate the 95th anniversary of the birth of the talented Argentine singer-songwriter, writer, poet, novelist, playwright, and composer. Admission is free to the public. No prior registration is required.

Why analyze María Elena Walsh from the academic world? “ It's the construction of an identity within this academic world that must embrace the themes and works of artists, those works that represent our society ,” explained Graciela García Romero , president of the María Elena Walsh – Sara Facio Foundation.

"When I thought about an academic gathering, it was primarily because the academic world was never interested in María Elena's work : she was not only creative but also groundbreaking. There is a before and after María Elena in each of these areas," she added.

" María Elena was far from pursuing a doctorate; she never pursued a university degree . She was never interested in it; she's an artist, but she also often wonders why the academic world never bothered to understand or address the key aspects of her work," she added.

García Romero, Flavia Helguero, Noelia Capello, and Alejandra Dandan will be in charge of the organization, along with the Mariano Moreno National Library, located at Agüero 2502 (CABA). The National Academic Conference will be held in person from the Jorge Luis Borges Hall. The conference will also be streamed live. from the National Library's YouTube channel.

Some of the figures who will participate in the debate and reflection panels are: Carlos Ulanovsky, Cristina Mucci, Maxi Legnani, Natalí Schejtman, Graciela García Romero, Diana Maffia, Cristina Noble, María Inés Aldaburu, Tamara Tenembaum, Leticia Manauta, Graciela Perosio, Andi Nachón, Anahí Mallol, Gustavo Álvarez Núñez, María Fernanda Maquieira, Alicia Origgi, Mariana Ruiz Johnson and Georgina Barbarossa.

La Ruptura offers a space for analysis and reflection on the work of María Elena Walsh over four days, featuring master classes, seminars, presentations, and artistic experiences led by universities and research centers across the country, as well as academics and artists.

“La Ruptura is transgression: when María Elena entered each area, there was a before and after. There was a break from an aesthetic line , and she proposes something new: it's an aesthetic break, it's an artistic break; she's not complacent. María Elena is very free, she's transgressive, she never shuts up. She's always spoken out, even from an uncomfortable place. That's why we named this series La Ruptura. We believe transgression is in her DNA,” García Romero emphasized.

On Tuesday, June 10, the series will open at 3:30 p.m. with a welcome address by university representatives and organizers, as well as doctoral presentations: Reading María Elena. It will then continue with workshops, artistic interventions, and an opening discussion scheduled for 5:30 p.m., led by Graciela García Romero.

This will be followed by a musical performance by the Choir of the Public College of Translators of the City of Buenos Aires, followed by a panel discussion on María Elena Walsh and her role in journalism , with Carlos Ulanovsky, Natalí Schejtman, and Maxi Legnani, moderated by Cristina Mucci. Singer Sandra Mihanovich will provide the closing musical performance for the first day.

"María Elena stepped back from the stage after overcoming cancer, when it began to manifest itself, to express herself through news articles. She apologizes because she says she isn't cancer, but it's the way she finds to continue speaking," García Romero recalled.

“ She spoke about everyday life, about politics, about what was happening day to day in the country. She did so with a rather disruptive style. We could mention some cases where her voice was unexpected, transgressive: What is a kindergarten country, what is the death penalty, what is the teaching tent,” added the head of the Walsh-Facio Foundation.

On Wednesday the 11th, the panel "Rupture and Innovation in Children's Literature" will begin at 3:00 p.m. , led by academics from the National University of San Martin (UNSAM) and the National University of La Plata (UNLP).

At 4:00 p.m., the panel "Gender, María Elena, and Feminism" will be led by Dr. Alejandra Valobra, with the participation of prominent academics from universities across the country.

At 5:30 p.m., the Conversation: The Cigarra and the First Defeat of Feminism in the Alfonsin Spring will take place, one of the most anticipated panels, with Tamara Tenenbaum, Diana Maffía, Cristina Noble, Leticia Manauta and María Inés Aldaburu, and will have Graciela García Romero as moderator.

“ La Cigarra was also a transgression at the beginning of democracy, considering we were coming out of a dictatorship, as well as the level of gender awareness that existed at the time. María Elena, along with María Herminia Avellaneda and Susana Rinaldi, had a show that, while designed by women for women, addressed the issues on the air . It also featured a rupture, or perhaps a door that opened to rethink women and their participation in the media. Of course, the show was quickly canceled,” García Romero recalled.

" That's why La Cigarra is a classic: each generation takes it as an anthem that allows them to express what is being debated and defended at that moment, such as human rights, women's issues, and the situation of lost causes that are reborn from these lost causes," he concluded.

Singer Lidia Borda will close the event with the tango parody "Tonight I Get Drunk," titled "Tonight I Wash Clothes," with lyrics by María Elena Walsh. "She parodied the original tango lyrics with a feminist perspective, using the same text," García Romero said.

Meanwhile, on Thursday the 12th at 3:30 p.m., the poetry roundtable will begin, another space for reflection on María Elena Walsh as a poet , in which some of her poems will be analyzed by academics from the UBA, UNLP, and UnCuyo.

At 5:30 p.m., the discussion "What's Inside Nuts: The Poem as a Site of Resistance" will take place, with presentations by Andi Nachón, Anahí Mallol, Gustavo Álvarez Núñez, and Graciela Perosio as moderators. The Joven Ballet Argentino will close the third session.

The final event will be held on Friday the 13th, the fourth and final event of the National Academic Conference. At 3:30 p.m., there will be a panel on children's literature , with analyses and presentations by academics from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), the National University of La Plata (UNLP), and Conicet (Conicet), followed by the artistic performance "We're Fried" by storyteller Cintia Aminah Blanco.

Finally, at 5:30 p.m., there will be a panel discussion titled "Inventing Childhood: When Children Came Center Stage ," with Alicia Origgi, Georgina Barbarossa, and Mariana Ruiz Johnson, moderated by María Fernanda Maquieira. The closing musical will be led by Lula Bertold .

The exhibition "María Elena in All Her Formats" will be held in the Paul Groussac Treasure Room of the National Library and can be visited Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tours of the exhibition will be offered from June 10 to 13, the days of the National Academic Conference. It will be open until August 3, also with free admission.