Arpilleras (scroll down to read about the Arpillera movement)
Arpilleristas
The Chilean arpillera movement served as a catalyst for the empowerment of Chilean women and as a call for human rights to be restored. Originally known as embroideries of life and death, arpilleras are small tapestries that depict human rights violations and state oppression. “The tapestries and the art of making them preserved the memory of los desaparecidos and the dictatorship’s brutality, as well as the unemployment, food shortages, housing shortages, and other hardships of daily life which were attributed to Pinochet’s rule” (Walker). The movement in Chile empowered women and contributed significantly to the push for gender equality. The majority of those detained were bread wining males leaving their families with no means of support or income. . An estimated eight percent of the arpilleristas were poor or working class. The rest were from middle class (Walker). Women’s limited role in society meant that most were unable to gain employment outside of the home. As a result many turned to arpillera workshops where they were able to use their domestic skills to create tapestries which were sold domestically and internationally.
The arpillera workshops were formed by a group of women who became familiar with each other after seeing each other daily on their rounds to the jails, courthouse and hospitals to request information on their detained and disappeared (Agosin 1987). The organization was formed under the protective watch of the La vicaría de la solidaridad. Over time the association “replaced the family” the women had lost. The conditions under Pinochet made people afraid of eacother. No one wanted to talk about the violence or the disappeared and so many members of the association felt isolated from their families and communities. The association helped feel that void and gave the women peace of mind that someone would notice if they went missing (Agosin 1987). Violeta Morales Told Marjorie Agosin in an interview that “it was sometimes the only thing that kept me balanced emotionally. There I found people who were suffering from the same thing and trying to help them sometimes helped me with my own tragedy.”
The women typically were involved with arpilleras out of economic need so there was not much money to buy fresh fabric. Instead they often cut up their own clothing. The movement provided Chilean women with a source of income as well as an outlet for their political frustration. The average arpillera was sold for $12-$50 depending on its size (Balcic). As artwork the arpilleras served to promote dissidence domestically and to promote awareness abroad. Within Chile censorship was so intrusive that the media could not report about the poverty stricken communities. Without the arpilleras no one outside of the communities would have known about their struggle.
The workshops operated in a communal manner. Everyone in the group was equal despite their position. It was common for the women to hold an administration position in addition to their sewing duties (Walker). The nature of the organization required positions such as treasurer, quality control manager and deliverer. The workshops also served to educate women. The women who attended the workshops started without any political knowledge. They did not understand how the neoliberal economic policies of Pinochet were related to their poverty or why their shantytowns were being raided (Adams 623). Employees of the vicaria educated the women about politics and economics through informal lectures during the workshops. Over time the women began to view themselves in a new way. They saw themselves as a collective and recognized their role in the fight for democracy.
The government underestimated the significance of “women’s work” which allowed them to escape the strict censorship applied to literature and the media. Today they serve as a striking testimony to the atrocities committed under the brutal regime. The economic struggles combined with the violent state oppression pushed women to become more independent and involved with social activism. The arpilleristas eventually incorporated other protest including hunger strikes and marches. After having experienced autonomy many were not content to return to their role of housewife when their husbands reappeared.
*For more information please see “Arpilleristas” under Academic papers and lesson plans
The arpillera workshops were formed by a group of women who became familiar with each other after seeing each other daily on their rounds to the jails, courthouse and hospitals to request information on their detained and disappeared (Agosin 1987). The organization was formed under the protective watch of the La vicaría de la solidaridad. Over time the association “replaced the family” the women had lost. The conditions under Pinochet made people afraid of eacother. No one wanted to talk about the violence or the disappeared and so many members of the association felt isolated from their families and communities. The association helped feel that void and gave the women peace of mind that someone would notice if they went missing (Agosin 1987). Violeta Morales Told Marjorie Agosin in an interview that “it was sometimes the only thing that kept me balanced emotionally. There I found people who were suffering from the same thing and trying to help them sometimes helped me with my own tragedy.”
The women typically were involved with arpilleras out of economic need so there was not much money to buy fresh fabric. Instead they often cut up their own clothing. The movement provided Chilean women with a source of income as well as an outlet for their political frustration. The average arpillera was sold for $12-$50 depending on its size (Balcic). As artwork the arpilleras served to promote dissidence domestically and to promote awareness abroad. Within Chile censorship was so intrusive that the media could not report about the poverty stricken communities. Without the arpilleras no one outside of the communities would have known about their struggle.
The workshops operated in a communal manner. Everyone in the group was equal despite their position. It was common for the women to hold an administration position in addition to their sewing duties (Walker). The nature of the organization required positions such as treasurer, quality control manager and deliverer. The workshops also served to educate women. The women who attended the workshops started without any political knowledge. They did not understand how the neoliberal economic policies of Pinochet were related to their poverty or why their shantytowns were being raided (Adams 623). Employees of the vicaria educated the women about politics and economics through informal lectures during the workshops. Over time the women began to view themselves in a new way. They saw themselves as a collective and recognized their role in the fight for democracy.
The government underestimated the significance of “women’s work” which allowed them to escape the strict censorship applied to literature and the media. Today they serve as a striking testimony to the atrocities committed under the brutal regime. The economic struggles combined with the violent state oppression pushed women to become more independent and involved with social activism. The arpilleristas eventually incorporated other protest including hunger strikes and marches. After having experienced autonomy many were not content to return to their role of housewife when their husbands reappeared.
*For more information please see “Arpilleristas” under Academic papers and lesson plans
The Disappeared
Their arpilleras served a testimony to the lives of their lost loved ones. They frequently used fabric from the clothing of the disappeared in the arpilleras. The scraps were used to represent and honor the memory of the missing person. The disappeared were also represented with a simple question mark stitched into the scene. Often the question mark would float over an empty chair.
In the arpillera to the left the theme of the disappeared is not as ambiguous. The banner on the top right says "Look at me, we are the disappeared." The figures beneath the banner are burying bodies of the reappeared. The secret police would occasionally dump corpses onto random streets or in front of houses of family members to incite fear amongst the public.
The next banner says "Human skeletal remains." This could signify that a hidden body was discovered.
In the arpillera to the left the theme of the disappeared is not as ambiguous. The banner on the top right says "Look at me, we are the disappeared." The figures beneath the banner are burying bodies of the reappeared. The secret police would occasionally dump corpses onto random streets or in front of houses of family members to incite fear amongst the public.
The next banner says "Human skeletal remains." This could signify that a hidden body was discovered.
Retaliation Against the Arpilleristas
Eventually the military realized the significance of the arpilleras. Their international recognition caused them to be considered subversive contraband domestically (Agosin Xii). The military could no longer disregard them as simply “women's work.” The retaliation started small. The soldiers would sometimes harass the women as they entered the la vicaría de la solidaridad. However they became more aggressive when the women refused to stop. The worst attack occurred on January 13, 1977. An arpillera exhibit titled Christmas, 20th century was on display at the Paulina Waugh Art Gallery when it was firebombed by agents of the DINA (Belcic). A collection of arpilleras called Christmas, 20th century was one of the targets. The collection depicted the “hardships of a normally joyous occasion.” Unfortunately none of the work could be saved.
The government later decided to create its own arpillera workshops which created safe arpilleras that depicted a tranquil and secure chile. The safe arpilleras were created and sold under the watch of the government (Baldez).
The government later decided to create its own arpillera workshops which created safe arpilleras that depicted a tranquil and secure chile. The safe arpilleras were created and sold under the watch of the government (Baldez).
Protest and Activism
This camaraderie and social interaction transformed the workshops into a social movement. Emboldened with confidence and the desire for change the women became involved in other forms of protest. Many of the women have claimed that it was their collective communication that gave them the strength and courage to participate in other forms of protest. “The fact that we met here in the workshop is very important because we give each other courage to go out in the street together” (Walker).
The women gained a lot of attention in 1979 when they carried out a hunger strike in public (Agosin 1989). The arpillera in figure one is a testimony to the experience of the women who chained themselves to the front gate of the congress building during the hunger strike. The chains represented the pain that was caused by a missing loved one. Though it is not shown in the arpillera in figure one, Agosin reports that the women had pictures of their detained disappeared pinned to their chests. Inevitably the women were arrested and imprisoned. While in prison they were stripped naked and humiliated as well as beaten. Their experience made them more determined to fight for the rights of the detained.
The women gained a lot of attention in 1979 when they carried out a hunger strike in public (Agosin 1989). The arpillera in figure one is a testimony to the experience of the women who chained themselves to the front gate of the congress building during the hunger strike. The chains represented the pain that was caused by a missing loved one. Though it is not shown in the arpillera in figure one, Agosin reports that the women had pictures of their detained disappeared pinned to their chests. Inevitably the women were arrested and imprisoned. While in prison they were stripped naked and humiliated as well as beaten. Their experience made them more determined to fight for the rights of the detained.
La Cueca Sola
In 1983 several women from the arpillera group formed a folk group called conjunto folklorico. Women such as Gala Jesus Torres Aravena composed songs about the lives of women, typically as women alone, during the Pinochet years. The group is most well known for their performance of la cueca sola. La cueca is a traditional dance that is performed by couples. The dance depicts the emotions and stages of romance. The women whose partners were disappeared would dance la cueca alone to make people wonder “where is her partner?” The dancers also wore a picture of her missing loved one around her neck. “Through la cueca sola, the dancers tell a story with their solitary feet, the story of the mutilated body of a loved one. Through their movements and the guitar music, the women also recreate the pleasure of dancing with the missing person” (Agosin 33). De Negri stated that the dance was symbolic of the love they shared. She gestured to her heart as she said that the women are still dancing with them through memory.
Agosin argues that beyond a form of protest the dance allows the women a chance to emerge as historical being with an identity of their own. Many members of the folk group also created arpilleras that depicted their experience with la cueca sola. One such example can be seen in figure two. We can see that all of people in the arpillera are female including the band. Most likely this is to draw attention to the missing men within the village. Words are not common on arpilleras so this arpillera must have been made when la cueca sola was not commonly recognized. The women of the folk group always wore a white shirt with a black skirt as a uniform. This arpillera is unusual because the mountains are absent from the background.
Many sources describe the dance as emotional. Indeed it must have been as several famous singers were motivated to write songs about the women and their dance. Many people in the US and Europe are familiar with “They Dance Alone” a song written by Sting. He was introduced to several of the women while he was on a human rights tour with Amnesty International. His lyrics provoke one to think about the suffering of the women:
“¿Por qué están aquí, danzando solas? ¿Por qué hay tristeza en sus miradas?
Hay soldados también, Ignoran su dolor, Porque desprecian el amor
Danzan con los muertos, Los que yá no están, Amores invisibles
No dejan de danzar, Danzan con sus padres, Sus niños también
Y con sus esposos, En soledad, en soledad”
The song was banned in Chile shortly after its release. In an interview shortly afterward Sting noted that the banning “means that to a certain extent it has been successful.” He quipped that he “did send an album to General Pinochet for his birthday, and I'm very upset that he sent it back" (Long).
Agosin argues that beyond a form of protest the dance allows the women a chance to emerge as historical being with an identity of their own. Many members of the folk group also created arpilleras that depicted their experience with la cueca sola. One such example can be seen in figure two. We can see that all of people in the arpillera are female including the band. Most likely this is to draw attention to the missing men within the village. Words are not common on arpilleras so this arpillera must have been made when la cueca sola was not commonly recognized. The women of the folk group always wore a white shirt with a black skirt as a uniform. This arpillera is unusual because the mountains are absent from the background.
Many sources describe the dance as emotional. Indeed it must have been as several famous singers were motivated to write songs about the women and their dance. Many people in the US and Europe are familiar with “They Dance Alone” a song written by Sting. He was introduced to several of the women while he was on a human rights tour with Amnesty International. His lyrics provoke one to think about the suffering of the women:
“¿Por qué están aquí, danzando solas? ¿Por qué hay tristeza en sus miradas?
Hay soldados también, Ignoran su dolor, Porque desprecian el amor
Danzan con los muertos, Los que yá no están, Amores invisibles
No dejan de danzar, Danzan con sus padres, Sus niños también
Y con sus esposos, En soledad, en soledad”
The song was banned in Chile shortly after its release. In an interview shortly afterward Sting noted that the banning “means that to a certain extent it has been successful.” He quipped that he “did send an album to General Pinochet for his birthday, and I'm very upset that he sent it back" (Long).
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Attention Academics
If you are interested in learning more about the Arpillera movement I highly recommend booking a lecture or workshop with Veronica De Negri. I was lucky enough to attend a workshop she conducted in Los Angeles in 2010. As a former detainee and current activist she can provide you with incredible insight on the arpillera movement. Her collection of Arpilleras (all of the photos on this page are a sample of her collection) are in great condition. You can contact her through Poyecto Voz, an organization she runs with Alicia Partnoy.