When Waste Becomes a Message: Double Opening at the MAC Salta

On Friday, December 5th, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Salta (MAC) witnessed a necessary dialogue between aesthetics and matter. The opening of two new exhibitions not only refreshed the city's cultural offerings but also underscored how contemporary art can redefine what we consider "waste."

Andrés Waissman's Alchemy

On the ground floor, renowned artist Andrés Waissman presented "La deriva de los Continentes" (The Drift of Continents), an exhibition spanning over 20 years of his career, curated by Carlos Gutierrez. While his work revolves around profound themes such as desperation, migration, and humanity's self-destructive nature, there is a light that shines in his choice of materials.

Waissman surprises us with models of ruined cities and sculptures that stand tall as symbols of resistance, made entirely of expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam). The artist takes this petroleum derivative—a symbol of modern pollution—and reconverts it into art, granting it a second life charged with meaning. Similarly, an imposing plastic curtain painted with synthetic enamel reinforces this narrative of reuse and transformation.

Waissman, who was visibly moved by the installation, described the fact that some of his works are exhibited in the windows facing España Street as "inspiring," breaking the museum barrier and engaging in a direct dialogue with passersby.

Abstraction, Geometry, and Recycling

The experience continues on the second floor with the opening of "Abstracción y Geometría", an exhibition curated from the museum's own collection.

Valeria Cabrera, the MAC's director, highlighted the diversity of the proposal: "It is an exhibition composed of historical and contemporary artists who express themselves in different languages," making an impact through their colors, aesthetics, and use of materials.

And it is precisely in the materials where the exhibition dialogues with sustainability. Visitors can find everything from collages made with rubber tire scraps to iron structures, textiles, and a particularly striking installation: a structure created from beverage crate dollies, carefully stacked and painted, elevating an everyday logistical object to the category of an art piece.

An Invitation to Look Differently

At the NSL Foundation, we celebrate these initiatives where matter is transformed and invites us to reflect on our surroundings. The exhibitions are now open to the public at the MAC (Zuviría 90), Tuesday to Sunday, from 10 AM to 8 PM.