Syndicate: <nettime> Attack to Chilean artists

[Clemente Pad=EDn <clepadin@adinet.com.uy> (by way of Andreas Broeckmann)]

Dear friends:
                    I am transmitting you this serious accusation of
attack and censorship to the art and, in particular, to the mail art. The
success of the campaign depends on you, it is say, it depend on the
diffusion that you could give you to the communication (including thw
wegsites) and of the expressions of rejection that you transmit to the
addresses indicated to the end. Fraternal greetings.


CENSORSHIP AND ATTACK ON MAIL ART IN CHILE

In response of the systematic and offensive political persecution and the
intolerance that for various years have been going on at the University of
Chile's Fine Art School (actions promoted and spurred by reactionary,
totalitarian and pro-Pinochet sectors) on March 98, the Mail Art Exhibit
"Stop: liberty, diversity and pluralism" was held at the Santiago's Museum
of Contemporary Art, in defense of the constant attacks by sectors in
power. As a result, Humberto Nilo, the Director of the U. de Chile's Fine
Art School and organizer of the event, was dismissed from his position
along with the Museum's Director and the Curator of the exhibit: Mrs.
Rosario Letelier and Mr. Ernesto Munioz.

The brillant track records of the dismissed which includes their strong
defense of Human Rights during the Chilean dictatorship; recuperating
Guillermo Deisler memoirs, and hundreds of other artistic manifestation in
defense of Human Rights and the dissemination of the best in Contemporary
Art, were not taken into account.

It is paradoxical, not to mention denigrating, that after 17 years of
military dictatorship in Chile, and after reaching (as certain oficialist
sectors proclaim) democratic and social harmony levels worthy of being
emulated by the rest of the continent; we have to experience the sad
spectacle in which cultural spaces are closed through economic
strangulation, harrassment and dismissal of distinguished artists, simply
because they don't share the "official line" and open or covert censorship
of critical manifestations on what's established and current.

These cases, are not only attacks on people of proven professional and
artistic excellence, they constitute a frontal attack on the principles
that ground culture, in addition to being a crass outrage on the
libertarian aspirations of an broad sector of the national and
international artistic community. It is time we sponsor and stimulate the
global conscience among all those artists who believe on the diversity and
pluralism in art, to confront outrages such as that have just taken place
in Chile. It has to be done now, since with the sophisticated strategies
for manipulation and control, in the hands of the new inquisitioners of
culture... tomorrow could be too late!

The intolerance and desdain for cultural diversity are achieving strategic
permanence in those places that have historically been destinated to
protecting diversity. Perhaps that's why there's been a strong push to
silence them. What about critical view and reflection? Or is it that we
are facing the beginning of a world regime with a cultural policy that is
predominently non-critical, blind and "light" aligned with the purposes of
Neo-liberalism?

Faced with the fear that the arrogance and brutality of the Chilean regime
could put in peril the future of Humberto Nilo, Rosario Letelier and
Ernesto Munioz, we begin this World Campaign to repudiate censorship and
personal attacks against any artist, regardless of whether he practices
Mail Art, anywhere on the face of the Earth, requesting from everyone to
send-in expressions of solidarity and rejection against all sorts of
discriminatory policies on cultural matters, so that in some way, their
offenders can't get away with their threats unscathed.


Send your messages to by post mail, fax and/or e-mail to:

Humberto Nilo Saavedra Calama 8435, La Cisterna, Santiago, CHILE tel.
5581888 hnilo@hotmail.com

Presidente de la Republica: Sr. Eduardo Frei Ruiz Tagle
Direccion postal/postal address: Palacio de la Moneda, Av. Libertador
Bernardo O. Higgins, Santiago, Chile. Fax: 6387332
Email: webmaster@presidencia.cl

Presidente de la Camara de Diputados: Sr. Gutemberg Martinez Direccion
postal/postal address: Av. Pedro Montt s/n , Valparaiso, Chile. Fax:
6874152 Email: mctoro@congreso.cl o/or lgonzale@congreso.cl (secretarias
de Gabinetes)

Presidente del Senado: Sr. Andres Zaldivar Larrain Direccion postal
address: Av. Pedro Montt s/n, Valparaiso, Chile. Fax: 6326603 Email:
gabinete@congreso.cl o/or presenst@congreso.cl (secretarias de Gabinetes)

Rector de la Universidad de Chile: Sr. Luis Riveros Direccion
postal/postal address: Av. Libertador Bernardo O. Higgins 1058 Fax: 6781012
Email: lriveros@abello.dic.uchile.cl

Ministro de Educacion: Sr. Jose Pablo Arellano Direccion postal
address: Av. Libertador Bernardo O. Higgins 1317, Santiago, Chile. Fax:
6716164 Email: secremin@neruda.mineduc.cl

Agencia UPI: Sr. Rodrigo Bustamante(editor) Direccion postal/ postal
address: Nataniel 47, piso 9, Santiago, Chile. Fax: 6986605

Agencia ORBE: Sra. Marisol Freire(editor) Direccion postal/ postal
address: Phillips 56, oficina 66, Santiago, Chile. Fax: 6396826

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