Because of this dictatorship, freedom of expression was very limited (if not non-existent) because people were afraid of being swept up and made to vanish by the military. This, in turn, led to hidden meanings or messages behind the artwork that people created during the dictatorship, and this style has continued to the present day.
The Pinochet dictatorship launched a campaign to keep the citizens in line. Hundreds of thousands of people were arrested, tens of thousands were tortured and thousands were killed. Many Chileans went into exile, while others spent long years in prison or were reported missing. One of the ways that Chileans found themselves expressions their resistance and thoughts was through art, and mainly, graffiti murals.
Yes! An example is the image on the right side that includes the phrase “poder popular.” Poder popular has been used in Chilean history to refer to a type of political power from the working-class people. It’s included in the mural to show the demand for free and inclusive education.
In Chile, murals are a graphic expression. Some artists deal with political issues in their illustrations to shed light on the realities of what is going on in Chile. The murals signify the spirit and strength during an important period in the history of Chile. Now, Chile is a democracy again, and people have the freedom to express themselves through art and other means.
