Heavy rains flood parts of city; Water main break damages homes; Cultural agenda; Clothing stores promote ‘sustainable fashion’; Art Bienal opening

Viernes, 28/9/2023

Hola, Todos –

Actividades –

Bienal se inaugurará en la Plaza Otorongo (Biennial will open at the Plaza Otorongo) – Art and the public will converge at the opening of the Bienal de Cuenca for the first time. It will be in the Plaza Otorongo and people will not need an invitation to attend the opening of the 16th edition on el 8/12. This decision was made when curator Hernán Pacuruco assumed the directorship of the Bienal, and wanted to have the show with open doors. The event will be possible due to an agreement with the Prefectura del Azuay which will help support the production of the event. 30 of the 35 artists selected will be at the opening.

Cuenca clothing shops promote “sustainable fashion” by reselling new items that failed to sell in other countries. (El Mercurio)

Another new thing will be a parallel exhibit featuring Ecuadorian artists. 15 were selected for this edition including 5 from Cuenca. The artwork from foreign artists will be shown in the Museo Municipal de Arte Moderno, Antigua Escuela Central <It seems like renaming that venue to the Museo de la Ciudad never caught on. Too many people around who still think of it as the Antigua Escuela Central. All those old grads probably need to die off before the new name sticks.>, Casa de la Lira, Galería de la Alcaldía, Planetario, Museo Pumapungo, Salón del Pueblo, Sala Proceso, y Capilla del Museo de la Medicina. The spaces for the Ecuadorian artists are still being developed.

Un homenaje al pasillo en la Politécnica (A tribute to the corridor in the Polytechnic) <And “corridor” instead of pasillo, which is a national genre of music, is why you need to know a little of the language when you use translation programs.> – As part of the traditional Viernes Culturales, the University Politécnica Salesiana (UPS) will have a tribute to the pasillo with 3 groups performing el 1/10 a las 19:30 in the Teatro Universitario Padre Carlos Crespi Croci. Free.

Agenda cultural –
30/9 a las 10:30 – Pesentación – Launching of Mayu Alétheir – at Tres Puentes <Lanzamiento makes it sound like Mayu Alétheir is Ecuador’s space rocket.>.
1/10 a las 9:00 – Encuentro – Festival de Chicha de Jora – Parroquia Octavio Cordero <Will this be an exception to drinking in a public space?>
2/10 a las 20:00 – Concierto – Viajeros sonoros – Teatro Sucre.
4/10 a las 19:00 – Desfile – Escenarios del Mundo – La Merced.

Titular –

En Rayoloma hay casas evacuadas y zonas sin agua (Evacuated houses and areas without water in Rayoloma) – Several families were affected when water entered their homes, lands, and the main road into Rayoloma after problems with a water main. About 22:00 on miércoles, a neighbor was wakened by the sound of water and saw damage to the pipe. About 4:00 on jueves, the pipe exploded and affected more houses. A large reservoir had to be emptied to evaluate the stability of the soil underneath after cracks were seen at the site. 6 houses were damaged and 5 had to be evacuated. <Worst time possible – in the middle of a drought.> 2,900 homes that are served by the Rayoloma reservoir were left without water but will be supplied by tankers.

Actualidad –

Inundaciones por intensa lluvia en diferentes sectores de la urbe (Floods due to heavy rain in different sectors of the city) – There was flooding in different areas of the city after the intense rains Thursday, including on av. De las Américas near the Feria Libre, and on av. Ordóñez Lasso. Tranvía service was stopped when the rails were covered in water, and the roof of the grandstand area of the Alejandro Serrano stadium desprendió (detached – your word for the day) due to strong winds. Some streets in the av. Don Bosco sector were flooded due to the heavy rain in a short time. <If it ain’t one thing, it’s another. Drought followed by flood. And I don’t think the flooding means the drought is over. I’m keeping that tub of water captured from getting the shower warm to flush the toilet.>

Although the rain provided temporary relief, utility officials said it did not end the drought. By Friday afternoon, city rivers had returned to the near-record low flow rates of earlier in the week.

Empresarial –

La moda sustentable gana espacio (Sustainable fashion gains ground) – The garment industry is one of the most polluting due to the use of toxic chemicals, high consumption of water and energy, generation of waste, and use of non-biodegradable textiles. It takes 7,500 liters of water to make one pair of jeans – the average amount that one person drinks in 7 years. <By which time the jeans will have landed on the rubbish heap.> Consciousness about the damage caused by “fast fashion” prompted Camila Vázquez to start her store, “Qué me pongo? Second Hand.” Her boutique is in a 150-year-old historic house on Pres. Córdova y Benigno Malo. She sells about 400 garments each month with prices from $5 up to $80 for formal gowns. <So if you’re invited to an Ecuadorian wedding, you know where to go for your dress.> Another store is Fanny’s Closet on calle Vega Muñoz. Fanny Romero said that these types of stores for sustainable fashion are common overseas, and have gained more fans here in recent years. She gets bales of clothing from the US with marked prices of $100 to $130, and sells them for between $30 & $50. The clothing is selected for quality before she puts them in her stock.

And that’s all for today so hasta ? –

Jeanne