7/29-  Weekend Reflections on Art and Politics in Chile

Art as the political landscape in Santiago: Art as the political landscape in Santiago: 2012

Art as the political landscape in Santiago: Art as the political landscape in Santiago: 2012

7/29-  Weekend Reflections on Art and Politics in Chile

Our first weekend we took a bus with our entire class to Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar where we had a lovely lunch of fresh seafood and took in the views of the city.  The thing that struck me most about Valparaiso in particular was the color of the city!  The buildings were all painted vibrant colors that were a nice contrast to the grey of the cloudy sky.  It is a port city and used to be much busier- you can tell because it is fairly developed and there is a fine layer of sand and dust that blankets most things.  Perhaps it is smog?  They had very interesting architecture that was accentuated by historical landmarks- for instance, the building that Pinochet had erected when he moved government offices from Santiago to Valparaiso.  While cheerful and innocuous, the city has seen some turmoil, particularly during the military regime.

In Santiago and La Isla Negra, the vibe was quit different.  We visited Pablo Neruda’s home and there were so many things I loved about it.  I like the way Neruda built his home in sections- they were separate sections connected by gardens and pathways that each had their own purpose.  I like that because it seems very functional in that if you are having a certain type of day, you can walk to another area of your home- another wing- and get into a new rhythm more effectively than merely walking to another room of your house.  I love that I got to see both of his homes- one in La Isla Negra where he is buried with Matilda and the other one that was almost burned down in Santiago during the military coup of 1973.  His poetry has affected me so deeply in life that I would have come to Chile just to visit his home.

On our last day in Santiago, we went to see Pablo Neruda’s house - it was so nice but not nearly as amazing as the Isla Negra home where he is buried.  The tomb was so beautiful where he was buried with his 3^rd wife, Matilda- with wild hair.  Apparently his 2^nd wife was 20 years older than him and he had Matilda as his mistress.  He built his home in Santiago for Matilda and has multiple paintings and pieces of art dedicated to her such as window dressings in metal.  This is another example of how creative artifacts can serve to weave together a colorful story of the past.