Politics and Aesthetics of Resistance: Lessons from the South

The aim of this course is to explore the interrelations between arts and politics, by focusing on social movements from Argentina and Chile from the lasts decades. Both countries experienced extremely violent and repressive regimes (Argentina was under military rule from 1966 till 1973, and then again from 1976 till 1982; Chile, from 1973 till 1990). Yet this repression didn’t stop the left from recuperating power through underground movements. Moreover, people manifested their discontent in an array of ways; artists, civilians, photojournalists, and students took over the street time and again, making resistance visible.
Participants in this class will become familiarized will the political context of the region by reading a selection of texts. Classes will be planned as seminars; in each session, we will discuss and reflect upon about the political and aesthetical significance of manifestations, photography, performances and/or street actions. From Argentina, we will cover: “Cordobazo,” Tucumán Arde, Workers Family by Oscar Bony, Montoneros, ERP, Madres de la Plaza de Mayo; and from Chile: CADA’s NO +, A Mile of Crosses on the Pavement by Lotty Rosenfeld, Las Yeguas del Apocalipsis, the role of photojournalism, and the students protests.Participants will be encouraged to think critically and creatively about different cultural artifacts studied, and will develop a better understanding about the relationships between art, politics, and counterculture.
The teacher of this course in a native from Chile, and earned her Ph.D. in 2010 from Washington University in Saint Louis. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Spanish at McDaniel College, and lives in Baltimore. Her scholarly interests pay special attention to the meanings and methods of collaborative practices while incorporating diverse cultural arenas and artistic traditions. She has worked extensively in contemporary Southern Cone narrative, film, and photography, focusing her research in the interconnections in between aesthetics and politics. She is currently working on a research project about the discourses and practices of documentary and experimental photography in Chile during the eighties and nineties.