In this article, the writer Gonzalo Muñoz discusses the art produced in Santiago, Chile, between 1974 and 1985, which he describes as being highly political and, therefore, very focused on the military dictatorship that was in power at that time. Muñoz’s goal is to introduce the reader to the work created by what Nelly Richard called the Escena de Avanzada, the generation of artists that emerged during that period and used innovative artistic languages to express their radical ideas within the context of the Chilean government’s authoritarian rule. Muñoz presents very specific insights into life in Chile linked to five basic concepts that help to understand the art produced by La Avanzada: “el encuadre” (framing), “el cuerpo” (the body), “el territorio” (territory), “la mirada” (the perspective or point of view), and “el signo” (the sign). The article briefly outlines the work of a number of artists who were involved in that graphic-visual arts movement, including Diamela Eltit, Carlos Leppe, Virginia Errázuriz, Eugenio Dittborn, Lotty Rosenfeld, and Juan Dávila.

Much has been written and published locally about the art produced during those decades (especially in Santiago, Chile). There are, for example, these two texts: “Gestos críticos” (Critical Gestures) by the writer Diamela Eltit [see the ICAA Digital Archive (doc. no. 736098)] and “Apuntes para una década (1980–1990)” (Notes on a Decade) by the historian Gaspar Galaz (doc. no. 736102). See also Margins and Institutions (Márgenes e instituciones) by Nelly Richard and Chile arte actual (Chile: Contemporary Art) jointly authored by Galaz and Milan Ivelic, two books of fundamental importance. Some of these publications are better known than others, but most of  them provide or encourage insights, discussions, and clarifications regarding the art scene during the Pinochet period.

Though brief, this article by Gonzalo Muñoz provides a summary of the major readings articulated by La Avanzada’s work; that repressive period spawned concepts such as “el cuerpo” (the body), “el territorio” (territory), and “la mirada” (the perspective or point of view), which shone a spotlight on the political, aesthetic, and social problems that Chile experienced in the wake of the military coup d’état. This essay appeared in the catalog produced for Cirugía plástica / Neue Gesellschaft für Bildende Kunst (Plastic Surgery / A New Society for the Visual Arts), the exhibition presented in Berlin from September 14 to October 28, 1989, which focused on subjects and procedures that were being addressed at the time by contemporary Chilean art. The unprecedented event brought together works by more than twenty artists—men and women—that expressed the visual, thematic, and discursive heterogeneity of local Chilean art. Participants included Carlos Leppe, Gonzalo Díaz, Eugenio Dittborn, Lotty Rosenfeld, Virginia Errázuriz, and Francisco Brugnoli who represented La Escena de Avanzada, as well as young artists such as Bruna Truffa, Rodrigo Cabezas, Ciro Beltrán, and Mario Soro, among others. The exhibition catalogue also included the following texts: “Breve nota sobre pintura chilena: 1950-88” (A Brief Article on Chilean Painting) by Justo Pastor Mellado (doc. no. 736085) and “Sobre arte y política(s): contraoficialidad, poder y lenguajes” (On Art and Politics/Policies: Counter-Official Approaches, Power, and Languages) by the above-mentioned Nelly Richard (doc. no. 736073).