The Argentinian project (2008-2010)
Buenos Aires ("Rest"- "Reposo")

The Russian sculptor’s Stepan Erzia work of art "Rest" ("Reposo") (81hx80hx39 cm), made in the years 1919-20 from the Ural marble, participated in several major exhibitions in Russia and abroad (among them, in Jean Sherpante’s  gallery in Paris, 1927), and was subsequently transported by the author in South America, where it was also shown frequently at various exhibitions.

In 1944 the Municipality of Buenos Aires bought the work of art previously mentioned from the sculptor. For a long time this work stayed in the square Bartolomeo Mitre situated in the part of town called Recoleta administered by la Direccion de Espacios Verdes del Gobierno de la Cuidad de Buenos Aires.

During the dictatorship and the public disorders of the 80’s the work of art was vandalised (it was marred by oil paint and insulting inscription).  From the beginning of 2000s, the sculpture was placed on a crowded highway in the area of Boedo, where it was situated before the year 2009, under the management of the conservation and research Company of monuments of the area of Baiedo.

The sculpture «Reposo» aroused interest not just as a monument that adorned the streets, but, first of all, it was interesting for connoisseurs and admirers of Erzia’s creativity. Given the high level of performance of the work and its artistic value, it was appropriate to hold an urgent dismantling inexorably collapsing marble original and its consequent placement in a museum in Buenos Aires with a careful restoration and subsequent exposure in the museum environment with appropriate climate control and supervision of specialists.

In order to save this inexorably damaged work of art the Erzia Fund offered his help to realize a special package apt to conserving this precious work. In the years 2009-2010 the specialists of the Directorate of Buenos Aires’ Parks Association under the direction of Erzia’s Foundation scrupulously restored the original marble monument, and also made ​​a copy in order to show it at art exhibitions in Russia. The already mentioned copy was subsequently carried to Moscow.

In Buenos Aires there are already two state museums (Museum of Benito Quinqela  Martin and Eduardo Sivory Museum) ready to bring the original of the already quoted works in their collections. Nowadays, we are leading negotiations with the owner of the monument (the Directorate of parks in the city of Buenos Aires) in order to move the work of art "Reposo" from the Directorate’ workshops to the museum.

The Erzia International Foundation bears the costs of dismantling, transporting and restoring the original statue. As well as realizing copies of the work and its transportation to Moscow.