THURSDAY, 08 MARCH 2012 18:33
WRITTEN BY STRUAN CAMPBELL GRAY
Temuco art exhibition seeks to challenge the militaristic representation Mapuche culture.
The Mapuche people are an integral element of Chile’s national identity, yet when representing Chile’s indigenous population, domestic news organizations seem infatuated with infrequent cases of militant activism and excessive violence.
(Photo by Brittany Peterson)
An art exhibition opening this Friday in Temuco looks to challenge this consistently negative portrayal, juxtaposing dominant representations from the local media with paintings and photographs of the every day lives of a peaceful Lafquenche (people of the lake) Mapuche community in southern Chile.
“The Mapuche cannot be categorized in any one way,” Juan Perez, head of communication for the Essence of the Mapuche, or Esencia Mapuche, told The Santiago Times. “They are not separate from Chile, but a fundamental part of the country’s culture.”
In February, Chilean painter May Graces and photojournalist Brittany Peterson stayed with a Mapuche family on the island community of Romopulli, in the Araucanía region. The artworks they produced engage with the daily activities and lifestyle of rural Mapuche life.
“We aimed to show human, emotive, beautiful moments of a small, intimate Mapuche community,” Peterson says. “Moments that show the more complete story, and that make us conscious of how an over-abundance of negative images in the media can shape stereotypes.”
International press has covered the Mapuche struggle extensively, especially the exploitation and theft of ancestral lands, Peterson says, but the Chilean government and domestic media often portray negative stereotypes of “the militant activist in perpetual conflict with authorities.”
“They are consistently framed as terrorists, pursuing a militant agenda,” Peterson says. “There may be some truth in these portrayals, however, it represents the extreme minority. There is a far wider story, one which we wish to convey in our exhibition.”
The decision to first hold the event in Temuco relates to the city’s position at the center of the Mapuche issue. “It’s an interesting location,” Perez said. “More than any other city in Chile, Temuco has seen conflict between indigenous peoples and local authorities. Hopefully this display will encourage a more peaceful conversation.”
The exhibition, funded in part by the Melton Foundation, will be held at the Universidad de la Frontera on March 9, starting at 6 p.m. Peterson also intends to take the display to Santiago at some point this year.
Source: The Santiago Times