The article reports on the impact of President Javier Milei's anarcho-capitalist economic policies on Argentina's cultural sector since his December 2023 election. Public museums like the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes face frozen budgets and loss of autonomy, the cultural ministry has been shuttered, and a climate of fear and retribution has led many in the art world to speak anonymously. The piece focuses on artist Liv Schulman's film and exhibition "Un círculo que se fue rodando" (2024) as a psychological portrait of the nation under Milei, and includes observations from a Buenos Aires gallerist and journalist about the dismantling of civic institutions.
This matters because Argentina has become a pilot project for ultra-libertarian governance closely watched by figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump, with culture wars deployed as a testing ground for political ideology. The systematic defunding of museums, intimidation of journalists, and purges of dissenting state employees mirror tactics seen elsewhere, making Argentina's experience a potential blueprint for similar political movements globally. The article underscores how artists and cultural workers are navigating extreme insecurity while documenting and responding to the crisis.