Thursday, 10 October 2024

Event Details

People in conversation at the exhibition launch on 8th February, 2008. (Photo: Martin Melaugh)

People in conversation at the exhibition launch on 8th February, 2008. (Photo: Martin Melaugh)

 

Exhibition and associated activities:The Politics of Chilean Arpilleras
Description: This event launched the exhibition "The Politics of Chilean arpilleras" which featured 17 arpilleras depicting a variety of themes. This launch and exhibition was a forerunner to the more extensive exhibition "The Art of Survival: International and Irish Quilts" which was subsequently launched one month later in the Verbal Arts Centre. It was exhibited at a total of nine venues in Derry.

Workshop: "The Politics of Chilean arpilleras", 11th April, facilitated by Roberta Bacic.
This half day workshop, attended by 6 participants, was organised at the request of a group of women from Belfast. They were especially interested in the way women expressed pain caused by human rights violations and political violence and were eager to find out more about the stories of each arpillerista and how they coped with their situations.
There was a guided tour, a friendly question and answer session and the film 'Como Alitas de Chincol' was shown. It is a 10 minute animation on the history of Chilean arpilleras, puts them in historical context and also refers to the technical elements of making them. Produced by Chilean filmmaker Vivienne Barry, this short film took first prize in La Havana, Cuba at the 24th festival of Latin American Film. Taking part in the workshop prompted some participantes to explore the possibility of bringing the exhibition to Belfast early 2009.

An additional four workshops took place at the Tower Museum, as part of the overall exhibition programme.

Commissioned by: Derry City Council, Heritage & Museum Service with local partner
Date(s): 8th February 2008 - 19th April 2008
Venue: Harbour Museum, Derry / Londonderry
Harbour Square, Derry / Londonderry, Northern Ireland. BT48 6AF
Curator: Roberta Bacic
Facilitator: Harbour Museum staff
Outcome: This launch created an awareness of the origins of arpilleras, how women created and used them during the Pinochet dictatorship in Chile and prompted much discussion and debate. It paved the way for "The Art of Survival: International and Irish Quilts" exhibition, which was displayed at an additional eight venues in Derry/Londonderry from 8th March until 19th April 2008. The exhibition itself was well attended and it successfully laid the groundwork for subsequent exhibitions.
Photographs: Photographs of the launch taken by Martin Melaugh - View Here




Documents: • Catalogue: Chilean arpilleras, Derry 2008 - view
• Exhibition leaflet: Chilean arpilleras, 2008 - view
• Press Release: Launch, Derry 8 Feb 2008 - view
• Chilean arpilleras - web notice - Derry 2008 - view
• Press Release, Derry 0208 - view