Biography of Ariel Ramírez, author-composer and pianist (1921–2010)
Ariel Ramírez (1921–2010) was an author-composer, pianist, and iconic figure of Argentine nativism. A multifaceted artist, he also composed for cinema and performed as an actor. He devoted his career to promoting South American culture through an extensive discography and hundreds of performances from 1955 to the 1980s. Creator of numerous criollista songs, he is best known for his Misa Criolla (1964), which powerfully and delicately blends regional folklore with Christian liturgy.
His first trip to Europe in 1950 marked the beginning of a long musical journey, including significant stays in Paris, and in 1952 he settled at the Maison de l’Argentine within the Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris. Even today, within the walls of its salon, the notes of Misa Criolla resonate, carried by the voices of artists from all over, perpetuating Ariel Ramírez’s invisible yet vibrant presence.
Biografía de Ariel Ramírez, compositor y pianista
Ariel Ramírez (1921-2010) fue un autor-compositor, pianista y una figura emblemática del nativismo argentino. Artista polifacético, también compuso para el cine y actuó como actor. Dedicó su carrera a la difusión de la cultura sudamericana, a través de una rica discografía y cientos de presentaciones desde 1955 hasta los años 1980. Creador de numerosas canciones criollistas, es sobre todo conocido por su Misa Criolla (1964), que fusiona con fuerza y delicadeza el folclore regional y la liturgia cristiana.
Su primer viaje a Europa en 1950 marcó el inicio de un largo recorrido musical, con estancias significativas en París y, en 1952, se estableció en la Casa de Argentina, dentro de la Cité internationale universitaire.Y hoy en día, entre las paredes del salón, las notas de la Misa Criolla resuenan, impulsadas por las voces de artistas de todos los horizontes, perpetuando la presencia invisible, pero vibrante, de Ariel Ramírez.
Intuition is the greatest asset of a creator who was not born a composer.
La intuición es el mayor tesoro de un creador que no ha nacido compositor.
A poem-chair
“I adopted the chair, this familiar object, a few decades ago, at a time when I wanted to create art on a human scale in public spaces, while everywhere else people opted for the monumental: it is an object shaped like the body and serves the body. It is difficult to feel exclusive ownership of an object so universally shareable. It is mine when I occupy it, but if I leave it, someone else can claim it as their chair.” Michel Goulet, artist-sculptor
The project Prendre position
Prendre position is a sculpture-installation project of 47 chair-poems to mark the 100th anniversary of the Cité internationale universitaire de Paris. They were installed in a flowered meadow created especially for the occasion by the campus estate service.
This artistic installation was conceived by the Quebecois artist-sculptor Michel Goulet, in collaboration with François Massut, founding director of the collective Poésie is not dead.
Each house on the campus is represented by a chair, thanks to a donation from the Maison des étudiants canadiens and the support of the Labrenne group. Each of the 47 chairs is a unique work.
History and architecture of the house
La Maison de l’Argentine est l’une des toutes premières maisons construites à la Cité internationale. La maison était destinée à servir de foyer aux étudiants argentins installés à Paris et à resserrer les liens entre les deux pays. Sa réalisation a été confiée à trois architectes français et argentins.
