In this article Pablo Oyarzún provides a critical review of the art produced over the course of three decades. He notes the lack of a tradition that could bear witness to and interpret art production in Chile. From the early twentieth century—especially within the field of literary criticism—neither the state nor any independent circuits showed any interest in it. After the coup d’état in 1973 there were several independent and private initiatives that helped to define a field and/or a “cultural scene.” The lack of a critical tradition gave rise to the supposed absence of an art tradition; that is, with no entity to observe and reflect on what was going on, it was difficult to discern the evolution of lines of inquiry or specific movements. Oyarzún begins by using “modernization” as a philosophical prism through which to approach art. In his view the period from the mid-twentieth century until the time when he writes his article can be understood as “a series of modernizations.” In this particular case he describes “modernization” as an updating or refreshing of visual art in terms of the increasingly current model provided by the international system. This explains his use of the concept of “series,” on the assumption that the specific characteristics of the sequence clearly distinguish it from other earlier phases when “modern” referents were appropriated.   

This article was published by the Facultad de Artes de la Universidad de Chile (Editorial La Blanca Montaña del Magíster en Artes Visuales). One of the chapters in the first edition of the book Arte, Visualidad e Historia (Art, Visuality, and History), it is an essentially philosophical review of Chilean cultural output, covering both works of art and discursive contributions. Here, the renowned Chilean philosopher Pablo Oyarzún notes the absence of a critical tradition as regards Chile’s cultural and artistic activities. He points out that, after the coup d’état in 1973, a great many alternative spaces appeared that supported local artists and their work. He mentions private initiatives and magazines (CAL, La Bicicleta, and Ojo de Buey, among others), galleries (Galerías Cromo, Sur, Época, and Carmen Waugh, among others), competitions (Salón de gráfica and Colocadora Nacional de Valores), and festivals and biennials (Festival Franco Chileno de Video Arte and Bienal de Grabado, among others), including events organized by international institutions (the French, North American, and German Institutes in Santiago). This is one of the founding texts in terms of Chile’s modern perspective, which Oyarzún describes as a core characteristic of the country’s art production that conceives of “modernity” as a range of actions that challenge representational forms, methods, and strategies.      

Oyarzún’s discourse differs dramatically from the theoretical ideas of intellectuals like Nelly Richard, who focus on sociopolitical and cultural problems that are more closely related to the social sciences and the humanities. Oyarzún’s writing is marked by the disciplinary dryness of his philosophical approach.