A Pop Mummy Version at the Fortabat Collection

The Colección Amalita is showcasing a reconstructed exhibition that includes a "pop version" of a mummy, drawing more from the popular Argentine wrestling show "Titanes en el Ring" than from ancient Egyptian history. The exhibit revisits "Creencias y supersticiones de siempre" (Beliefs and Superstitions of All Time), a unique 1976 collaboration between the renowned artist Antonio Berni and Federico Manuel Peralta Ramos.

Curator Rodrigo Alonso explains that the mummy figure, presented with a characteristic tremor and labored breathing, aligns more with the persona of the "Titanes en el Ring" troupe than with figures like Tutankhamun, as suggested by Peralta Ramos's installation title. The original exhibition, held at the Carmen Waugh gallery, lasted only ten days. This reconstruction aims to bring back elements of that brief but memorable experience.

The mummy, identified as Ithacar Icaro Jalí (the stage name of Enrique Lerena de la Serna), served as a central figure in the original exhibition. Positioned in "Tut Ank Amon's Tomb," this white mummy, unlike its "black mummy" counterpart in "Titanes en el Ring," functioned as an oracle. Visitors could ask questions, and the mummy, who was described as an ethologist, firefighter, poet, actor, and painter, provided answers.

Ithacar Icaro Jalí himself was a multifaceted personality, reportedly a cousin of Che Guevara and the son-in-law of filmmaker Lucas Demare. He held only one exhibition in 1977, separate from the "Creencias y Supersticiones" show, some of which are now displayed in Puerto Madero. The audacious promotional poster for this exhibition, featuring a portrait by Marcos Zimmermann showing half of his buttocks, exemplifies the daring spirit of Ithacar and the Berni & Peralta Ramos collaboration. His life experiences were notable enough to warrant an interview in the underground magazine "Cerdos & Peces" in 1987.