I love graffiti. No… not “that” kind… I’ve never really understood the territoriality of marking tags (a graffiti writer’s initials or a special identifying mark) over and over on all sorts of public and private property…
Certainly not when they write on houses or hit my car a few years ago:
Tagged door (2008), Tagged car (2003)
But I do love street art… those unexpected “joyitas”… artistic surprises that pop up like mushrooms in the forest. I love the unpredictability of their appearance—the double-take and “Wha? That wasn’t there yesterday!” I also love their ephemeralness (huh? Where’d it go? I know it was here…oh wait, that’s it, under that fresh coat of white paint). It’s about color and abstractness and creativity. The joy of turning a corner and discovering a new piece—and I’ve been known to yell “stop the car!” on many an occasion when I spot something new.
Santiago and Valparaíso are full of truly creative work, and I shoot it whenever I can. I had planned on doing a more in-depth post with a selection of shots from different areas, but checking through my photo files, I see too many to choose from (and far to many to publish at once), so I’ve changed my plans. I’ll be throwing up graf shots from time to time as a way of documenting them and alerting anyone interested about where to find them… a sort of graffiti tour, if you will.
I also want to mention that although Berlin has an international reputation for its graffiti, as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t hold a candle to what’s going on in Chile. Sure, there were tags everywhere—barely an untouched spot in the city—but it wasn’t art. It was primarily a collection of hastily posted “I was heres” repeated over and over again rather than thought out, well-planned pieces that actually take talent and time.
There are many areas of Santiago that are well known for their graf: Santa Isabel, Bellavista, and Quinta Normal, just to name a few… and we’ll get to them in time, but I want to start with a couple Santiago classics on the banks of the Río Mapocho. For anyone who hasn’t seen these pieces, they are viewable from the south side of the river looking northward… as in from Costanera looking toward Bellavista.
Fishermen Illusion, Río Mapocho, by Nicole, Grin, Ceris, Siek & Derik (photo Nov 2008)
By the way… look closely… there’s really no bridge there!
Vanessa Shulz came to Chile looking for the "Hero Dog" and took home 7 others (Foto from FECIPA- see below)
The topic was Quiltros—dogs—on last night’s Cachando Chile on the Air**(podcast coming soon!).Anyone who’s ever spent any time in Chile knows why. The streets are full of them. Playing in the park, sleeping on the sidewalk, pilfering the trash, and doing just about anything they want to anywhere they want to.
Quiltro(pronounced KIL-troh) is the Chilean (not Spanish) word for “mutt”- a mestizo dog—one of mixed race. Our guest for the evening’s show was documentary filmmaker Vanessa Shulz (thanks to the wonders of technology and Skype). She saw the now famous “Chilean Hero Dog” clip that aired around the world in December 2008 (check it out below if you haven’t seen it). She was so struck by what she saw, that 2 months later she was here and filming.
Chilean Hero Dog:
Vanessa Shulz and the Lost Dog project:
Animal lover and documentary filmmaker Vanessa Shulz didn’t know a thing about Chile when she saw the Hero Dog clip on the news. But it stuck with her. She began to investigate.
She learned that there were 200,000 dogs on the streets of Santiago, and 2.5 million in the country, although it is uncertain how many are abandoned and how many have homes and are free to roam at will. Chile’s leash laws are not enforced, and many clearly well-fed, well-groomed dogs sporting collars wander the streets with their rag-tag buddies by day and night (see It’s a Dog’s World).
Vanessa saw a story to tell in Chile. One that could be told in many parts of the world—throughout Latin America, Asia, and Africa—but Chile was calling her name, and in February 2009 the South African born-and-bred filmmaker—now a resident of the US—packed up her gear and headed south. She and still photographer Chris Mortimer (neither of whom speak Spanish) arrived with the idea of tracking down the Hero Dog—a feat that proved impossible—but a walk through the Plaza de la Constitución in front of La Moneda (the Presidential Palace in downtown Santiago) was enough to shift their focus.
“There were all these dogs there playing and running around. We couldn’t believe it!” she says. In fact, few newcomers do. It’s something that strikes everyone that right there, in front of the seat of national government, the park is always—always—full of dogs running loose.
The fact that she was excitedly filming them caught the attention of Chilean dog lover David Gómez, who just had to approach her. The gates of fate were thrown wide and the people who had to meet to make this film happen were drawn together.
They met Gabriela Jarpa of the CDA (Coalición por los Derechos de Animales), who took them to a la Rinconada de Maipú, where she and others care for hundreds of abandoned dogs. They went to the other famous dumping ground in the Cajón de Maipo east of San Juan de Pirque. They went to the Veterinaria Trinidad, where volunteers work around the clock to tend to and sterilize animals. They interviewed Luis Navarro, former director of the Animal Protection Society who was denounced for maltreatment of animals… and then they went to Chaitén, where the residents who were evacuated after the volcano erupted were ordered to leave their animals behind.
Vanessa made the local news when she took 7 abandoned dogs back to Oregon with her. “Lan Chile said I could fly 6 dogs back, and I had 3 from Chaitén and 3 from Rinconada. Then at the last minute, someone from Lan asked me if I would take a 7th dog, one who lived at the airport.” See the “Perros de Chaitén Viajan a Estados Unidos,” which includes a video clip of the news story that aired in Santiago the day of her departure.
She found homes for 6 of the dogs, but Fumarola, who was born in Chaitén after the evacuation and who had therefore never known human contact, remains with her.
Fumarola, being rescued from Chaitén (left) and living happily ever after in Oregon (right)
Why fight for dogs?
When there is so much human suffering in the world, why worry about dogs? It’s not an uncommon question, one she gets asked a lot.
“I fight for the dogs—for animals—because they have no voice; they are not yet part of our moral universe. Women were once excluded from this moral universe, as were children and blacks. But today no one questions that they are a part of it,” she says with conviction. “If we can’t be kind to our best friends (the dogs) then what does that say about us as human beings?”
“Just because you can’t do everything, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do anything,” she says, “and if we each do a little, we can make a difference.”
Education / Adoption / Sterilization, the three pillars of establishing dignity for animals.
Educate people about proper treatment, and get the government to enact laws that prevent maltreatment of animals.
Adopt homeless animals. Quiltros (mixed breeds) are often much better pets.
Sterilize your pets. Prevent the increase of abandoned
Vanessa Shulz is now in the post-production phase of her film Lost Dogs, which involves countless hours of editing as well as the endless tasks of the fund raising necessary to make the project a reality.
If you’d like to help and/or know more about Vanessa Shulz and her projects, see her website 21Paradigm.com.
One of the things about competitions is that they are prone to surprises and upsets. They don’t always turn out as expected and often not as desired. Proof enough was the very unexpected twist of events at Saturday night’s final round of the Dr. Luis Sigall Classical Guitar Competition in Viña del Mar. (See “Classical Guitar in Viña del Mar: 36th Dr. Luis Sigall Competition” for information leading up to the finals).
Eighteen young guitarists from 12 countries were invited to participate in this prestigious competition. Eight made the semi-finals, and the 3 finalists, Marco Sartor of Uruguay, Sebastian Montes of Chile, and Daniela Rossi of Argentina, performed with orchestra on Saturday night.
Marco Sartor, 30, of Uruguay
The finalists were assigned the piece they would play.
Luck of the draw.
Marco Sartor was the first to take the stage and performed Concierto para guitarra y pequeña orquesta, by Héitor Villa-Lobos of Brazil. His execution was flawless, but unfortunately his guitar was drowned out by the orchestra, and even during the solo passages it was hard to hear, a fact that the judges neither missed nor dismissed.
Sebastian Montes, 30, of Chile
Sebastián Montes followed with Fantasía para un gentil hombre, by Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. He played beautifully and moved the audience such that they applauded until he returned for a second bow.
I am not impartial. He is my favorite. We, his family, were there “en patota.”
Daniela Rossi, 25, of Argentina
Daniela Rossi closed the show with the most famous of all pieces for guitar and orchestra:Joaquín Rodrigo’s Aranjuez. She played with confidence and personality, and those in the know commented on her creative interpretation.
Intermission. Nerves. Tension.
The audience voted for their favorite.
Smokers smoked.
Hair was combed; lipstick reapplied.
The evening’s 3 stars paced.
The public congratulated them.
Some asked for a photo or autograph.
Nerves.
The remaining 15 participants speculated.
The musicians in the audience opined.
Everyone commented.
What was taking so long?
Tension.
More pacing.
More smoking.
More commenting.
Time drags on–3 0 minutes… 45… an hour–and this can only mean one thing: the jury is not in agreement.
The lights flash, we return to our seats. One look at the jury, now on stage, and we know. They have done serious battle. Our hearts begin to sink.
The usual round of speeches begins. Why is it that every speaker has to repeat interminable lists of Illustrious Toms, Esteemed Dicks and Honorable Harrys, along with their mothers and brothers and cousins and important neighbors? All the blustering blah-blah must have added at least another 20 minutes to the already torturous suspense.
Finally, the awards:
Best Chilean non-finalist Award: Renato Serrano (29) (trip for 2 to Laguna San Rafael)
Sartor and Montes were far and away the favorites going into–and coming out of–this event. Those who had been following the competition considered it a toss-up for first and second. The final outcome was completely unexpected and frankly, unexplainable.
And with that, I will refrain from further comment, lest I be accused of sour grapes. Not the case. There is much to be said about the outcome of this event, but I will wait for others more qualified and less involved to say it… while I bide my time, mulling this mystery and weighing my words.
One of the many charms of Chile’s Viña del Mar (in addition to beaches, casinos, and lovely old homes) is its annual classical music competition, the Concurso Internacional de Ejecución Musical Dr. Luis Sigall. This invitation-only, all-expense paid event is considered to be among the most prestigious in the world of classical guitar in which talented young musicians compete with their peers from around the world. The instrument rotates, and guitar appears once every four years… and 2009 is our year!
This year’s 18 contestants arrived on Friday, Nov 6 from Argentina (1). Australia (1), Bosnia (1), Croatia (1), Germany (2), Israel (1), Korea (1), Mexico (1), Russia (1), United States (1), and Uruguay (1), and 6 from Chile. Eight of these talents, ranging in age from 21 to 30, passed on to the semi-finals, and just three—all latinos—will vie for the top place title tomorrow, Saturday, November 14, at 7:00 PM in Viña’s Teatro Municipal.
The three finalists are:
Marco Sartor, Daniela Rossi, Sebastián Montes
María Daniela Rossi, 25, of Argentina, who will perform Joaquín Rodrigo’s famous Aranjuez
Sebastian Montes, 30, of Chile: Joaquín Rodrigo’s Fantasía para un gentilhombre
Marco Sartor, 30, of Uruguay: Concierto para guitarra y pequeña orquesta, by Héitor Villa-Lobos
Winning is not just a matter of a trophy and an attention-getting line on a resume. No sir. The stakes are high indeed:
1st prize is $10,000 USD, a trophy, plus a minimum of four concerts (solo and with orchestra) in Chile during 2010
2nd prize is $4,000 and trophy
3rd prize is $2,000
And now, for the best part of all—full disclosure—I have an invested interest in the outcome of this event… I’m not rooting for the Chilean candidate solely out of adopted national pride. I am very proud to say that Sebastian Montes is my step-son!
Have you ever noticed that it seems like you always hear about cool events AFTER they’ve taken place? Well, here’s a heads up. This Sunday, May 31, 2009, is Chile’s Cultural Heritage Day and no matter where you are in the country, there will be plenty of cultural activities to whet your appetite.
Fiesta del Día del Patrimonio: www.diadelpatrimonio.cl. Be sure to check "National Monuments" and "Buildings to Visit"
Ten years ago, Chile declared the last Sunday in May to be the “Día del Patrimonio Cultural,” a day set aside to celebrate and stimulate pride in Chilean culture. It is particularly geared toward architecture and a highlight of the day is the opportunity to visit a number of public and private buildings that are normally closed to the general public. The event has proven extremely successful and has expanded considerably each year. This year Santiago opens the doors to 110 buildings and has organized a multitude of activities in its museums, libraries, and cultural centers. Cities around the country are doing likewise.
This year’s theme is “The Fiesta del Patrimonio” and celebrates the concept of fiesta in different moments of time and cultural expression throughout Chile’s nearly 500 years of history.
I strongly suggest taking a look at the Día del Patrimonio Cultural (Cultural Heritage Day) web site and check out what’s doing around the country. If you click on “Programación nacional” you can find activities in each of the country’s 15 regions and then download an excel file with activities in your area.
To avoid making you go through a long series of clicking here, clicking there, just go straight to this link: La Fiesta del Patrimonio: Guía de Recorridos (Cultural Heritage Festival: Guide to Tours)to download a pamflet in pdf format that lists the different buildings that will be open to the public on Sunday. Choose a couple of options and go out and explore! This is your opportunity to get into those old mansions and the back rooms of government buildings you’ve always wondered about. There will also be plenty of music, food, games, and fun for the whole family.
Check it out and come back to report in on Monday!
I just found this great link: Cultura Mapocho which gives more information in Spanish about some of the tours available.
