The text “Manifiesto de ‘Martin Fierro’” [Manifesto of Martin Fierro] shows itself to be within the general norms that were characteristic of the vanguard manifestos. It first indicates its position with respect to “the past,” then the “passé aesthetic of the moment”; and later prescribes an aesthetic of rupture oriented toward the future.

Martín Fierro (1924-1927) occupied an important place among the great proliferation of magazines of the Argentinean Avant-Garde that were published during the 1920s, and even more so within Buenos Aires itself. It was edited by Evar Méndez, although in 1925 Oliverio Girondo, Eduardo J. Bullrich, Sergio Piñero, and Alberto Prebisch also participated in the editorial duties. Key Argentinean writers such the aforementioned Girondo, Ricardo Molinari, Leopoldo Marechal, and Jorge Luis Borges were counted among its contributors; as well as the artists Emilio Pettoruti, Xul Solar, and Norah Borges. Martín Fierro ceased to be published when, during the presidential candidacy of Hipópolito Yrigoyen, the group’s members became divided between those who wanted to introduce politics into the magazine, and those who did not. This internal bickering led to the demise of the publication. It is important to note that Martín Fierro was perceived by contemporaries as being representative of the Argentinean “vanguard.” The manifesto of Martín Fierro, written by Oliverio Girondo (1890-1967), was published as part of the aforementioned newspaper and also distributed as a flyer. This text has special relevance in that it served to define the Avant-Garde orientation and profile of the publication, while at the same time situating its author as its icon in Buenos Aires.