Memory and memorials from Chile: 30 years since the military coup

IssueSeptember - November 2003
News by Roberta Bacic

An itinerant exhibition of 27 photographs has been put together in an effort to share the process of dealing with the past alongside the relatives of the disappeared and those executed for political reasons in Chile.

The photos are from my personal archive. Some have been taken by me and some by Clem McCartney, Kenneth Jensen, Jose' Araya and others. On 11 September 2003 it will be exactly 30 years since Pinochet overthrew the democratically elected government of Doctor Salvador Allende.

As we mark the 30 years since that dramatic event - which changed our history and our very existence - it is a challenge to be able to express what we have lived through. But the conclusion it leads us to is that because of those terrible events and in spite of everything life continues - and it is worthwhile living.

History is told by the protagonists. Many high profile cases from the coup have become known around the world through the media. With this exhibition we give voice to a few of the voicelss, to the ones who suffered under the dictatorship and have no chance to be present to speak for themselves.

This exhibition is also intended to show some of the outcomes of the struggle for truth, justice and memory. NO to forgetting and NO to impunity.

Contact me at the WRI office if you are interested in displaying the exhibition in your country.