As well as my obsessive photographing of graffiti on the first day of wandering Santiago's streets and getting a feel of the city I also visited the Museum of Memory and Human Rights. Knowing only a little about the political disappearances of Pinochet's dictatorship it seemed an important first visit to get a better understanding on Chile's history.
From the coup d'etat that overthrew President Salvador Allende's socialist government in 1973 until 1988 Chile was ruled by the dictatorship of Augosto Pinochet. During this period there were multiple human rights violations including political harassment and torture, forced exile, assassinations and disappearances.
The museum acts as a place of remembrance for the victims of the dictatorship, a place of education for the people and a place to focus on human rights. Candle-like lights in front of a poignant display of photos of the victims covering an entire wall provided a place to contemplate the tragedy of each individual person affected and their families, and to reflect on how society can avoid ever allowing such a thing to happen again.
Another very moving display in the museum were the handicrafts that prisoners made, wooden carvings, medals, rings and crosses, that helped to connect them to their loved ones in the outside world and also helped generate an income. There were also letters between prisoners and those on the outside, and the objects that were used to smuggle them. Tapestries called "arpilleras" were made by groups of women to express the truth of the horrors that were happening, and also to act as symbols of hope and the children as the future. All this, including artwork by children directly affected, served as a reminder of the power of art as a lifeline in times of struggle. Creating and making can offer a way to process emotion, express what is not allowed to be spoken, reach out to others with one's story and connect with those far from us. As the image with the heart reads below: "What the soul does for the body the artist does for the people."
This image on the far right from the online group "En Positivo" reads "That no one silences you". After this museum visit this seemed very poignant. A strong message that I got from the museum is that speaking the truth about the atrocities of the dictatorship has been hugely important for the people of Chile in respecting the victims and their families and moving forwards to a future where human rights dominate.
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