Montreal to Install First Permanent Mafalda Sculpture

Montreal will be the first French-speaking city to permanently host an official sculpture of the iconic character from cartoonist Quino's work. "People in Montreal will be able to see the Mafalda sculpture when they are walking down the street, immersed in their concerns... Suddenly, they will encounter the figure and can connect with its values," says Livia Magnani, director of the cultural space Moment!Culture, defining the spirit behind what will be an unprecedented cultural milestone: the permanent installation of the most witty and famous girl from Argentina in Montreal, in the province of Quebec. Espace Amalgame, in the multicultural Mile-End neighborhood, will be the first space in a Francophone city to permanently host Mafalda. This is part of an exhibition dedicated to Mafalda and Quino at Espace Amalgame in Montreal in 2024. The documentary, co-produced between Argentina and Spain, explores the intimate life of Quino, from his family roots to his final days, examining the connections and places that shaped his genius. Livia Magnani highlights the importance of this work because it allows one to get closer to the author far beyond his iconic little girl, recalling that the original Mafalda publications spanned only nine years of the 70 years of the cartoonist's extensive career. A couple of weeks later, on May 16, the cultural center will screen 'Mafalda, reviens!' (Mafalda, Come Back!). 'From the consulate, with great pleasure, we have accompanied her,' states Consul Gerardo Bompadre. For the diplomat, this achievement transcends a mere nostalgic anecdote to become a banner of South American talent abroad. 'Having someone like Quino and his character Mafalda, I believe, represents Argentine creativity very well, in this case in the field of cartooning,' he reflects with pride. But beyond the artistic triumph, the relevance of remembering today Mafalda's incisive, intelligent, and deeply pacifist outlook is vital, according to the consul, as her reflections and questions, translated into more than 30 languages, maintain an astonishing relevance and continue to challenge readers of all ages. 'Mafalda, with her questions, her phrases, and her concepts, addresses themes that are universal, not just Argentine. Her concern about the disarmament of weapons of mass destruction, her passion for peace, her environmental concerns make her ideas totally valid today,' a quote from Gerardo Bompadre, Consul of Argentina in Montreal. In an era where the world is deeply convulsed and global peace is threatened on multiple fronts, the eternal concerns of that girl who loved The Beatles and disliked soup remain unresolved. (Photo: RCI / María Gabriela Aguzzi). Excited about this collective effort, Magnani highlights the sense of community that has been forged. 'It's good to say: having the Mafalda sculpture is also their achievement, for having come, participated, and generated all this very good vibe, all this vibration that has been created around Mafalda,' a quote from Livia Magnani, director of Moment!Culture. To protect the sculpture, it will be displayed outdoors during the day during the summer season and will rest inside the facilities of Espace Amalgame at night. Mafalda will be on the move. Unlike the iconic Mafalda statues sitting statically on benches in plazas in Buenos Aires (the first in the world and the most popular being in San Telmo) or other cities like Caracas, Lima, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Santiago de Chile, Barcelona, or Madrid, the Montreal version will have a dynamic and community-oriented vocation. This lightweight format opens up a range of educational and social possibilities. 'If any institution wants to organize a reading of Mafalda one day, they can organize it, and we will bring the sculpture,' a quote from Livia Magnani, director of Moment!Culture. Quino's legacy. The arrival of this emblematic figure, created by Joaquín Salvador Lavado Tejón 62 years ago, does not occur in isolation but is framed within a calendar of cultural proposals to deepen the universe of its creator. Espace Amalgame has organized a series of exclusive screenings that will enrich the visitors' experience. However, the initiative also drew on the support of the local community, where Francophones, Latin Americans, and Anglophones live, who attended previous exhibitions, bought books, and products related to the Moment!Culture boutique. Livia Magnani, co-founder of Espace Amalgame. (Photo: Facebook / Mafalda official). By Maria-Gabriela Aguzzi. The most sharp-witted girl in Argentina will have a place in the heart of Montreal, the largest French-speaking city in the Americas. (Photo: RCI / María Gabriela Aguzzi). The sculpture is arriving from the workshop of Pablo Irrgang in Buenos Aires, who is finalizing the last details of the work. The official representation has seen the activities promoted by Moment!Culture as an invaluable platform for disseminating what Argentine authorities consider their 'national identity.' The Argentine personality. 'Mafalda is a character that represents a particular aspect of the Argentine personality,' states the release. This effort required a close strategic alliance with Iván Giovannucci, representative of Quino's family in Italy, among other key organizations. Reflecting on the expansion of the cartoonist's legacy, Magnani proudly highlights the enthusiasm of the artist's family. Bringing one of the 18 official Mafalda sculptures in the world required, besides an arduous logistical effort, a significant personal investment of funds by the project director. The sculpture will be presented on April 30 and will be open to the public starting on May 1. Its arrival is not the result of chance, but the culmination of more than two years of cultural management led by Magnani. The initiative foresees that the piece will not stay still, but will be loaned to visit schools, nursing homes, and city events. 'I come from theater and I am also an architect and I have always liked what has to do with the mobility of things,' explains the director about the project's conception. Its design facilitates this itinerancy, as, in Magnani's words, the figure 'weighs 23 kg, so it's like a suitcase.' The start of these activities will be on May 2 with the Canadian premiere of 'Quinografía.' After a successful previous screening and at the public's request, the film returns to Montreal to explore themes such as childhood, memory, and politics. The materialization of these initiatives has had the diplomatic and logistical accompaniment of the Consulate General of the Republic of Argentina in Montreal. Montreal will become the 18th city in the world to receive a sculpture of the witty Argentine girl. (Mafalda, Come Back! Irrgang is the only artist officially authorized by Quino to materialize his work. With dimensions of 80x50 cm, this iconic piece is preparing for a transcontinental journey.