INTERNACIONAL
Confesiones de una mujer y una cita impostergable con el arte
Cada uno de los 11 relatos es la excusa para unir historia del arte con historia personal. Y en ese juego la autora sabe de qué habla y lo hace muy bien. Así, a medida que escribe, María Gainza entrena el ojo y el alma del lector en esta aventura llamada El nervio óptico (Anagrama, 2017).
El volumen es la primera novela de la prestigiosa crítica de arte argentina y no se nota. Su prosa es de un virtuosismo pocas veces visto en noveles y no tanto. La lectura es encantadora y amena. Es de esas que acompaña, amable y reveladora de secretos familiares y de otras tantas cosas que no tenés ni idea.
El chisme palaciego, de aquellas familias patricias de antaño pega y querés más. Principalmente cuando ya fue y ahora el panorama actual es otro muy distinto. Atrae, al igual que todos los detalles únicos de la historia del arte que nos regala Gainza y en primera persona. Como sea, El nervio óptico invita a viajar por los museos, las pinturas y los artistas, sin movernos de casa, de la mano de una guía experta. Un lujo de 158 páginas.
Gracias Charly, el segundo de los relatos, me gustó. Rescata la figura de Cándido López, cuya historia hacía mucho que no escuchaba. Una serie de imágenes sobre la Guerra del Paraguay, serán su obra maestra, pero antes pasarán cosas. Todas raras, pero ciertas. Quedó manco luego de la batalla y eso le da un toque que, con el tiempo, lo pondrá en valor, pero después, mucho después.
“Cuando se cumplen 20 años de la batalla de Curupaytí, Cándido ofrece sus pinturas al Estado Argentino. Las donaría- dice- pero me sobreviene la pobreza. El gobierno le compra treinta dos cuadros que pasan al Museo Histórico Nacional y terminan en un depósito (…) Pasan ochenta años y nadie nombra a Cándido López en las historias del arte nacional hasta que, en 1971, el crítico José León Pagano se anima a incluirlo en su libro El arte de los argentinos. Y Cándido López sale, por fin, del subsuelo”.
Con el arte como motor, los recuerdos y las vivencias personales colorean los textos de Gainza y conducen su mirada narrativa hacia otras muchas que protagonizan las crónicas. Es que el relato está hecho de múltiples miradas: sobre cuadros, sobre los artistas que los pintaron y sobre la vida íntima de la narradora y su entorno.
En El encanto de las ruinas dice que la primera mitad de su vida fue rica y la segunda pobre, lo cual abre una puerta a otro universo lleno de sentimientos contradictorios, con el humor como bandera y mucho estilo.
“No alarmantemente pobre sino más bien seca, de esas que llegan arañando a fin de mes sin haberse dado ningún lujo y tienen que salir corriendo a pedir prestado si surge algún imponderable. Eso explica tu síndrome de Cuna de Oro, la indestructible sensación de que el dinero siempre está. No es que alucines que tenés una parva de billetes en la bóveda del banco, es más bien una impresión de seguridad interna que, por supuesto es espejismo, pero un espejismo muy vívido. Perteneces a una clase que por generaciones ha dado por sentado que todas las noches tendría un plato de comida caliente sobre la mesa. Y hay mucho de bendición en eso y algo de maldición también: la falta de hambre te vuelve haragana. (…) Vos podés pasar una larga temporada comiendo arroz, pero siempre pensás que va a ser pasajero, que ya va a venir una buena racha. Lo que sí intentás tener a distancia es otra de las patologías producto de una infancia con todas las necesidades cubiertas: se la conoce Tristeza de Niña Rica. Uf, cómo la detestás.”
A modo de cuentos breves, los capítulos son independientes unos de otros, donde un cuadro puede llevar a un momento particular de su vida y viceversa. “Uno escribe algo para contar otra cosa”, dice, y así consigue su atractivo.
Es de un género inclasificable, donde la existencia y el arte se funden para transformase en confesiones cercanas al diario personal. Trata de la misteriosa relación entre una pintura y quien la mira mientras que, a la misma vez, se anima a hablar de su cáncer de timo y reflexiona.
“De alguna manera misteriosa uno puede anticipar su destino. Algunos acontecimientos se nos revelan en forma de corazonada mucho tiempo antes de hacerse realidad. (…) Desde hacía dos años yo sentía que algo andaba mal adentro. Y cuando me diagnosticaron el timoma fue un alivio. (…) Para los griegos el Thymos era el alma, el deseo, la vida. Yo tenía una enfermedad del alma, vaya noticia”.
La obra de Gainza es una conversación sincera y espontánea. Habla del arte con erudición y al mismo tiempo comparte, sin pruritos, secretos propios y ajenos y con eso nos invita a una lectura que seduce y atrapa. Una joyita.
María Gainza nació en Buenos Aires. Trabajó en la corresponsalía de The New York Times en Buenos Aires y fue corresponsal de ArtNews. Durante más de diez años fue colaboradora regular de la revista Artforum y del suplemento Radar del diario Página/12. Ha dictado cursos para artistas y talleres de crítica de arte, y fue coeditora de la colección sobre arte argentino Los sentidos, de Adriana Hidalgo Editora. En 2011 publicó Textos elegidos, una selección de sus notas y ensayos sobre arte argentino. En Anagrama ha publicado sus obras narrativas El nervio óptico, traducida a dieciséis idiomas y recibida con entusiasmo por la crítica, La luz negra (Premio Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz 2019; y Un puñado de flechas.
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A government shutdown, big or small, is usually a front-and-center issue for lawmakers — but the most recent partial closure could be put on the back burner as Congress returns to several issues in Washington.
Senate Democrats and the White House are still at odds over funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as the shutdown dragged into its tenth day. Neither side is budging, with the most recent concrete action coming early last week.
Trump, who proved pivotal in striking a funding truce with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in January, was not directly involved in recent negotiations.
‘TARIFFS SUCK’: SOME REPUBLICANS PRIVATELY CELEBRATE AS SUPREME COURT BLOCKS TRUMP POLICY
President Donald Trump has not had any «direct conversations or correspondence» with congressional Democrats recently. (Evan Vucci/The Associated Press )
Trump has not had any «direct conversations or correspondence» with congressional Democrats recently, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, noting that the White House and its representatives have been handling the dialogue.
«But, of course, Democrats are the reason that the Department of Homeland Security is currently shut down,» she said. «They have chosen to act against the American people for political reasons.»
Senate Democrats offered a counter to the White House’s own counterproposal, which quickly was rejected as «unserious» by Leavitt. It’s a peculiar instance, given that this is the third shutdown during Trump’s second term, and neither side appears to be in a particular rush to end it.
DEMOCRATS RISK FEMA DISASTER FUNDING COLLAPSE AS DHS SHUTDOWN HITS DAY 5
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and his caucus have not relented in their position as DHS enters its tenth day of being shut down. (Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told Fox News Digital that there’s «some room for give and take» in the negotiations, but remained firm in the GOP’s positioning against requiring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from getting judicial warrants, unmasking or other reforms sought by Democrats that could increase risks for agents in the field.
«I felt like, you know, the last offer the White House put out there was a really — it was a good faith one, and it was clear to me that they’re attempting, in every way, to try and land this thing so we can get DHS funded,» Thune said.
Funding the agency will be a top priority for the upper chamber, but they’ll be delayed because of winter storms descending on the East Coast. The weather has caused the Senate to delay a vote on the original DHS spending bill until Tuesday night, ahead of Trump’s State of the Union address.
There are other issues that could get in the way of hashing out a deal, including a possible conflict with Iran and Trump’s desire to move ahead with tariffs without congressional approval.
GOP WARNS DEMOCRATS USING DHS SHUTDOWN TO STALL SENATE VOTER ID PUSH
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., warned that Senate Democrats were trying to tie up Republicans from hitting the campaign trail ahead of the pivotal 2026 midterm cycle. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Trump told reporters Friday that he was «considering» a limited military strike against Iran, which already has riled up some in Congress, who are demanding that lawmakers get a say on whether the U.S. strikes.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said in a statement that he has a war powers resolution to block an attack on Iran filed and ready, and challenged his colleagues to vote against it.
«If some of my colleagues support war, then they should have the guts to vote for the war and to be held accountable by their constituents, rather than hiding under their desks,» Kaine said.
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On the heels of the Supreme Court’s ruling to torpedo his sweeping duties, Trump is considering bypassing Congress to move ahead with another set of global 10% tariffs.
That comes as some Republicans are quietly celebrating the end of the duties, and others are open to working with the administration on a path forward for trade policy.
On tariffs, a Republican aide told Fox News that the GOP was «waiting to see what POTUS does next.»
«The State of the Union should be interesting,» they said.
politics,senate,government shutdown,homeland security
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Following the reported killing of major cartel leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as El Mencho, multiple American tourists vacationing in Puerto Vallarta told Fox News Digital they unexpectedly found themselves in the middle of a violent cartel retaliation.
As airlines canceled flights and authorities issued shelter-in-place orders, stranded visitors reported cars set ablaze, suspected cartel members blocking major roads, and stores ransacked by looters — scenes some witnesses said made parts of the popular resort city feel like «a war breaking out in the streets.»
Witnesses said they were forced to evacuate their rooms, manage with limited hotel food, and even venture outside in search of meals while waiting for Mexican authorities to regain control of the city.
Staying at an Airbnb near a main road, Eugene Marchenko, 37, of Charleston, South Carolina, told Fox News Digital he woke up to blaring horns and saw six cars completely engulfed in flames just outside his balcony. He and his wife, who had arrived in Mexico only a day earlier, were forced to evacuate for several hours, fearing that a nearby fuel tanker, also ablaze, could explode.
MAJOR DRUG LORD ‘EL MENCHO’ KILLED IN MEXICAN MILITARY OPERATION WITH U.S. INTELLIGENCE SUPPORT
«I looked down and they’re completely engulfed in flames,» Marchenko said. «It was six cars in total that burned and one fuel tanker.»
He said he watched a neighbor’s video showing men he believed to be cartel members forcing people out of their vehicles, then pouring gasoline and setting the cars on fire.
«They told the people to leave,» Marchenko said. «Then they were taking the gas and pouring the gas on the vehicle and waiting until everybody was clear before they were setting it on fire.»
Later in the afternoon, Marchenko ventured out to find food and said he saw pharmacies and corner stores completely burned down, adding that younger crowds had broken into nearby buildings to loot beer and cigarettes.
CARTELS OUTGUN POLICE: ROCKET LAUNCHERS SEIZED IN EL MENCHO RAID SPOTLIGHT CJNG FIREPOWER
Vehicles appear to carry multiple armed forces in Puerto Vallarta. (Fox News Digital)
Videos obtained by Fox News Digital show a helicopter hovering above his building, circling as if searching for someone, while Mexican armed forces and armored vehicles moved through the streets below.
Public transportation and Ubers had come to a complete halt, Marchenko added, saying that even if flights resume, he is unsure how they would reach the airport.
Despite the chaos, Marchenko noted that no one appeared to panic.
«There’s definitely not any panic from almost nobody here,» he said. «I think it’s interesting, almost everybody was just annoyed more than anything.»
SOCCER MATCHES POSTPONED AFTER MEXICO KILLS CARTEL LEADER ‘EL MENCHO’ NEAR WORLD CUP HOST
A plume of smoke rises in Puerto Vallarta on Feb. 22, 2026. (Fox News Digital)
Adriana Belli, 49, another visitor from Miami, told Fox News Digital that she had planned to spend over a week in Mexico to attend a wedding in Guadalajara and celebrate a friend’s birthday in Mexico City.
Belli said the sudden outbreak of violence was especially shocking, noting that she had spoken with American tourists staying at her Marriott resort who insisted the area was extremely safe after visiting Puerto Vallarta for 24 years.
She added that guests who had gone to the airport were under lockdown and were managing with the limited food available.
«A lot of the other tourists who had early morning flights were actually able to get to the airport, but they are now locked down in the airport and unable to leave,» she said. «So what we heard from other guests is they are just sort of surviving off of granola bars.»
A fuel tanker was set ablaze near a gas station in Puerto Vallarta on Feb. 22, 2026. (Fox News Digital)
Another source staying at a separate resort told Fox News Digital that restaurants and room service had been shut down. Guests were brought to the lobby for what was described as «the last bit of food.»
He added that this was the first trip where he and his wife were away from their 4-year-old son, and that he had to call home to tell family members where to find their will.
«This is the first time we’ve ever been away from him. My wife was saying, ‘We’re never leaving him again,’» he said. «I had to call my mom today and, you know, just tell her, ‘Look, here’s where my will is. We just created this. I don’t want you to panic, but I may need you to stay a couple days extra with my son.’»
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He added that, despite the area appearing like a war zone, he is remaining optimistic that the authorities will restore order in the coming days.
Mexico’s Defense Department said Sunday that Oseguera was killed in a military operation. The news reportedly triggered widespread unrest and uncertainty across multiple states as Mexican authorities worked to stabilize the region.
location mexico,mexican cartel violence,world,latin america
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