More than 50 years ago, Pinochet staged a coup in Chile. During the dictatorship that followed, women and families of missing prisoners gathered to portray their lives and traumas through the embroidery of colorful arpilleras. Hundreds of Chilean women embroidered their country's history daily on the fabric of used flour sacks. Using small scraps of fabric, wool, and various materials, the arpilleristas recounted their daily lives in working-class neighborhoods and denounced the violence and human rights violations perpetrated by the military regime.
The exhibition features a selection of arpilleras made between 1975 and 1990. The exhibition is a concept by Irma Prado Pizarro. Irma came to Belgium from Chile in late 1973, where she supported the arpilleristas out of solidarity from 1978 onward. The military regime considered the arpilleras a threat. Possession of them was considered treason or a crime. Therefore, they were smuggled out of the country. Irma smuggled hundreds of arpilleras out of her native country and today exhibits them in various locations.
The exhibition is a joint initiative of the Amsab Institute for Social History and Amnesty International. Amsab-ISG is the memory of social movements and engaged citizens who resist injustice and inequality. Amnesty International works worldwide to denounce and prevent human rights violations. Its archive is held at Amsab-ISG.
View the works here .
When:
August 20th to 18th, every day from 10am to 4pm.
Where
St. Nicholas Church, Cataloniëstraat 9000 Ghent.
Price
Free.
