Under the sign woman. Collective exhibitions of Chilean artists 1973-1991 (Metales Pesados Ediciones), by art historian Mariairis Flores Leiva, is a new historiographic essay that brings together 49 exhibitions made by women artists, whose works have the experience of women and gender as their central theme.
The investigation was led by the art historian Mariairis Flores Leiva and was assisted by the researcher in arts and literature Catherina Campillay. The process began after Flores came across catalogs of women’s group exhibitions within the framework of other investigations. This raised a question: are there dimensions led by women that have not been addressed?
“I believe that the history of Chilean art – and this is not a criticism, but rather a confirmation – is limited in the face of the complexity of the artistic field.. The chosen period has been widely studied, perhaps it is the most studied of all the moments that have been established so far from a historiographic perspective, however there is still much to be revealed,” says the author.
The book compiles samples of national artists such as Roser Bru, Lotty Rosenfeld, Carmen Aldunate, Patricia Israel, María Mohor, Lily Garafulic, Lea Kleiner, Juana Lecaros, Paz Errázuriz, Gracia Barrios, Cecilia Vicuña, among others.
The title is divided into four axes, to analyze eighteen years of artistic activity. “The first corresponds to the dictatorial or official artistic institutionalitydedicated to exhibitions of women artists organized by the National Museum of Fine Arts, the Municipal Cultural Institutes and Dirac,” it is explained in a statement.
The second delves into the exile and the foreignerwhich brings together exhibitions organized by exiled artists in Europe, and those by artists who resided in the country invited by other countries in solidarity with Chile. The third axis is the independent gallery circuitbut it has a link with that of the institutionality; while the last chapter is dedicated to art and its relationships with feminism.
The story continues below
More about until
Likewise, the book analyzes two television programs dedicated to women in art: Having lunch at Trecey The female gaze on UCV Televisión, by art historians Milan Ivelic and Gaspar Galaz.
Under the sign woman. Collective exhibitions of Chilean artists 1973-1991 (Metales Pesados Ediciones) is financed by the National Visual Arts Fundin the line of visual arts research.
One of the main proposals of the book is to offer an analysis of the different ideas of “woman” and “woman artist” that are configured in exhibitions.s, since these articulate different meanings in their organization. “Proposing readings shows the complexity of thinking about women and what happens when they decide to be artists. Accounting for the number of women artists is a very primary exercise to point out that the history of art has a lot to do,” Flores details.
The presentation of Under the sign woman. Exhibitions of Chilean artists. 1973-1991 will be carried out Next October 16 at 7:00 p.m. at the Central House of the University of Chile (Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins 1058). The artist and academic U. Chile Nury González and the archivist and member of the 8M feminist coordinator Javiera Manzi will participate.
Meanwhile, In Valdivia the launch will take place on October 8 at 6:00 p.m.in the Replica Gallery of the Austral University of Chile (Los Laureles 168, Isla Teja, Valdivia). Then, in Valparaíso, the presentation will take place on October 14 at 5:00 p.m.in the auditorium of the Los acacios headquarters of the Art Institute of the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso (Lusitania n°68 Miraflores, Viña del Mar). The academic Macarena García and the researchers will participate.
