BOOK: Performance, citizenship and activism in Chile 2010-2020
The social revolt was accompanied by a cultural outburst, where the arts in all their dimensions were key instruments as new strategies for collective action. This research proposes that
this movement of artistic activism had been brewing for at least a decade. Artistic activism in Chile between 2010-2020 stands as a way of exercising citizenship and strengthening the diversity of cultural identities. Chilean art activism today, unlike in other historical moments, is a direct expression of citizen participation. It is no longer only artists who contribute with their work to social and protest movements; now it is the citizenry that uses artistic expression as a practice of political participation.
This book is the result of research carried out by Paulina Bronfman Collovati and Natalia Bronfman Elphick over the last two years. Edited by Editorial Oso Liebre and financed by the
Fondo Nacional de Fomento y Desarrollo de las Artes Escénicas, Convocatoria 2021, Fondo de Emergencia Transitorio, this book explores the relationship between performance and activism in Chile as a form of political expression and citizen participation in the period 2010-2020.
The social revolt was accompanied by a cultural outburst, where the arts in all their dimensions were key instruments as new strategies for collective action. This research suggests that this movement of artistic activism had been brewing for at least a decade. Artistic activism in Chile between 2010-2020 stands as a way of exercising citizenship and strengthening the diversity of cultural identities. Chilean art activism today, unlike in other historical moments, is a direct expression of citizen participation. It is no longer only artists who contribute with their work to social and protest movements; now it is the citizenry that uses artistic expression as a practice of political participation.
From an intersectional and feminist perspective, this book is an invitation to study and reflect on the aesthetic and political dimension of performance and its potential to institute justice and symbolic reparation. It also invites a conversation about the ritual, pedagogical and visionary dimension of art in general, which, unfolding its infinite possibilities of expressive and discursive resources, re-imagines possible futures from a political body, always charged with memories.
About the authors and this edition:
Paulina Bronfman Collovati is an interdisciplinary researcher at NMAPA: Núcleo Milenio.
Art, Performativity and Activism Chile. She has a Master’s degree and a Ph.
D. at the Department of Education, University of York, UK. Her work explores the
intersections between Citizenship Education, Human Rights, and Cultural Studies. Her current research project
current research project focuses on environmental arts activism and climate justice.
and climate justice.
Natalia Bronfman Elphick is an actress and holds a Masters in Cultural Management from the University of Chile.
She holds a diploma in “Memories, social movements and artistic-cultural production in Chile and the Southern Cone” from the same University.
Southern Cone” from the same University. She works as a scenic artist, university teacher, cultural manager, playwright and playwright,
cultural manager, playwright and researcher. Her lines of work are theatre studies,
management and production of performing arts, memories, performance, gender and artistic activism.
Publisher: Oso Liebre.
General editing: Paula Loncón Leyton.
External and internal design: Diego Castillo Rouliez.
The book can be purchased in its physical format by writing to the following email address
paubronfman@gmail.com or in its digital format by downloading the document from the website
