<nettime> Attack to artists

[Clemente Pad=EDn <clepadin@adinet.com.uy>]

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.=20

Estimado amigos:
                           Estoy trasmitiendo a Uds. esta grave acusaci=F3n
de ataque y censura al arte y, en particular, al arte correo. El =E9xito de
la campa=F1a depende de Uds., es decir, depende de la difusi=F3n que Uds. l=
e
puedan dar al comunicado (incluyendo las p=E1ginas de internet) y de las
expresiones de rechazo que Uds. trasmitan a las direcciones indicadas
abajo. Saludos fraternos:=20

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 an 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.=20

The brillant track records of the dismissed wich 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.=20

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 wich 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.=20

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 coscience 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!=20

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?=20

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.=20

CENSURA Y ATAQUE AL ARTE CORREO EN CHILE

A ra=EDz de las sistem=E1ticas y ofensivas persecuciones pol=EDticas e
intolerancia que por varios a=F1os se dan en la Facultad de Artes de la
Universidad de Chile -acciones promovidas e incitadas por sectores
reaccionarios, totalitaristas y Pinochetistas- se convoc=F3 y realiz=F3 el
pasado marzo de 1998, la exposici=F3n de arte correo "STOP: libertad,
diversidad y pluralismo", en defensa de los constantes ataques de estos
sectores de poder, en el Museo de Arte Contempor=E1neo de Santiago. Como
resultado de la misma, el Director de la Escuela de Bellas Artes de la
Universidad de Chile, Humberto Nilo, organizador de la muestra, no s=F3lo
fue expulsado de su cargo, sino tambi=E9n, el Director y Curador del Museo
que alberg=F3 la exposici=F3n la Sra. Rosario Letelier y el Sr. Ernesto Mu=
=F1oz.=20

De nada sirvieron las brillantes trayectorias de los expulsados ni su
f=E9rrea defensa de los derechos humanos durante la dictadura chilena,
incluyendo la recuperaci=F3n de la memoria de Guillermo Deisler, el eterno
exiliado, y cientos de otras manifestaciones art=EDsticas en defensa de los
derechos humanos y la difusi=F3n de lo mejor del arte contempor=E1neo.=20

Resulta parad=F3jico, por no decir denigrante, que despu=E9s de 17 a=F1os d=
e
dictadura militar en Chile, y habiendo alcanzado -seg=FAn lo pregonan
ciertos sectores oficialistas- unos niveles de democracia y convivencia
social dignos de emular en el resto del continente; tengamos que asistir
al triste espect=E1culo de cierre de espacios culturales a trav=E9s del
estrangulamiento econ=F3mico, el hostigamiento y despido de sus empleos de
destacados artistas por no compartir con la l=EDnea oficial y la censura
abierta o solapada de toda manifestaci=F3n cr=EDtica sobre lo establecido y=
 lo
vigente.=20

Estos casos no son s=F3lo ataques a personas de probada excelencia
profesional y art=EDstica, sino m=E1s bien constituyen un ataque frontal a =
los
principios que cimientan la cultura, adem=E1s de un craso atropello a las
aspiraciones libertarias de un amplio sector de la comunidad art=EDstica
tanto nacional como internacional. Es hora de fomentar e incentivar la
conciencia mundial entre todos aquellos artistas que creemos en la
diversidad y pluralidad del arte, para hacerle frente a atropellos como el
que acaba de ocurrir en Chile. Y tiene que ser ahora, ya que con las
sofisticadas estrategias de manipulaci=F3n y control en manos de los nuevos
inquisidores de la cultura... =A1ma=F1ana podr=EDa resultar demasiado tarde=
!=20

La intolerancia y el desprecio por la diversidad cultural est=E1n
entroniz=E1ndose justamente en aquellos lugares destinados hist=F3ricamente=
 a
ser la salvaguarda de esa diversidad. Quiz=E1s por eso mismo es que se
despliega un ah=EDnco feroz y mordaz para silenciarlos. =BFY la visi=F3n cr=
=EDtica
y la reflexi=F3n? =BFO es que estamos ante los inicios de un r=E9gimen mund=
ial
con una pol=EDtica cultural predominantemente acr=EDtica, ciega y "light" a=
fin
con los prop=F3sitos del neoliberalismo?=20

Ante el temor de que los desplantes y la brutalidad del r=E9gimen chileno
puedan poner en peligro la suerte de Humberto Nilo, Rosario Letelier y
Ernesto Mu=F1oz, se inicia esta campa=F1a mundial de repudio a la censura y=
 al
ataque personal contra cualquier artista, practique o no el arte correo,
en cualquier lugar del planeta, solicitando al mundo entero que env=EDen
expresiones de apoyo solidario y rechazo frontal hacia todo tipo de
pol=EDtica discriminatoria en materia cultural, para que de alguna manera,
sus ofensores no puedan llevar a cabo sus amenazas impunemente.=20

Send your messages to by post mail, fax and/or e-mail to: Comunicaciones
v=EDa postal, fax y/o correo electr=F3nico a:=20

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

Presidente de la Rep=FAblica: Sr. Eduardo Frei Ruiz Tagle
Direcci=F3n postal/postal address: Palacio de la Moneda, Av. Libertador
Bernardo=20
O=B4=B4Higgins, Santiago, Chile. Fax: 6387332
Email: webmaster@presidencia.cl

Presidente de la C=E1mara de Diputados: Sr. Gutemberg Mart=EDnez Direcci=F3=
n
postal/postal address: Av. Pedro Montt s/n , Valpara=EDso, Chile. Fax:
6874152 Email: mctoro@congreso.cl =F3/or lgonzale@congreso.cl (secretarias
de Gabinetes)

Presidente del Senado: Sr. Andr=E9s Zaldivar Larra=EDn Direcci=F3n postal/p=
ostal
address: Av. Pedro Montt s/n, Valpara=EDso, Chile. Fax: 6326603 Email:
gabinete@congreso.cl =F3/or presenst@congreso.cl (secretarias de Gabinetes)

Rector de la Universidad de Chile: Sr. Luis Riveros Direcci=F3n
postal/postal address: Av. Libertador Bernardo O=B4Higgins 1058 Fax: 678101=
2
Email: lriveros@abello.dic.uchile.cl

Ministro de Educaci=F3n: Sr. Jos=E9 Pablo Arellano Direcci=F3n postal/posta=
l
address: Av. Libertador Bernardo O=B4Higgins 1317, Santiago, Chile. Fax:
6716164 Email: secremin@neruda.mineduc.cl

Agencia UPI: Sr. Rodrigo Bustamante(editor) Direcci=F3n postal/ postal
address: Nataniel 47, piso 9, Santiago, Chile. Fax: 6986605

Agencia ORBE: Sra. Marisol Freire(editor) Direcci=F3n postal/ postal
address: Phillips 56, oficina 66, Santiago, Chile. Fax: 6396826

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