Nemeln

("word" in mapudungun) 2015
Museum of Memory and Human Rights, Santiago, Chile

Series In Situ

Here the meaning of the word was addressed. The way in which language is a sign of identity and cohesion, conserving the historical narrative of memory.

This performance is an inquiry about the negation of a language, a culture, in this case the Mapuche people, which has been systematically silenced and outraged. It outlines the impact of this repression on the body, on social life and on the space we cohabit.

A group of Mapuche takes out black canvases, which are wrapped with newspapers attached to the Museum's gate by Cathedral Street. The performers tighten the canvases and cover their mouths, holding them horizontally, from the gate to the esplanade of the Museum, they stay for a long time in this position. Under their feet there is a square meter of flour.

Photo-Documentation: Marileu Avendaño, Fabiola Pontigo
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