Experiences from Chile

I realize that I rarely talk about my work.

It might be because when I first thought of thisthatyotrascosasmas

I envisioned a virtual archive of things that inspire me and a blank canvas

to express my moods whether by using words, video,

or images.

As you know, in the last few weeks, my life

and especially my head, has been incredibly active.

A part of it has been fully immersed in life in Chile from 1973-1990

due to a project that I am working on.

.

I could say that the fact that I am immersed in this project is inspiring today's post.

However, it is the nature of the stuff that I am working on

that it is making me feel obliged to write about it

and share part of what for many of us it's just history

but for many people that I know a cruel reality.

You can read about my organization,

the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience, online. 

Just briefly, we are a network of people working with societies around the world

 on how to deal with the past,

especially when it refers to a past of human rights violations.

(Not easy)

I won't turn the post into a history book about Chile's legacy of human rights abuses.

I just want to share a few images of my work with Estadio Nacional (Chile's National Stadium), 

one of the many places that was appropriated and turned into

a center of torture and extermination during the years

in which Pinochet led the nation.

Today, the Estadio Nacional has been transformed

by some of the most socially active people I have ever met

into a civic and cultural center dedicated

to ensure not only that the past is not forgotten

but also that it doesn't happen again.

Estadio Nacional, Memoria Nacional

Sweet Violence

The wok of a feminist, activist, and video and performance pioneer.

Until yesterday at MoMA.

"Sanja Iveković: Sweet Violence makes a major contribution to the reevaluation of significant women artists and the discursive relationship between art and social change in the contemporary world."

More in HERE

180 South - Conquerors of the Useless

I am once again in of one of those creative momentums

in which I seem not to find "the way" to express myself

and therefore spend a great deal of time looking around me

and inside me for good manifestations of my creativity.

In the last few days, my apt has become a huge bulletin board.

Anyway, on Th I bumped into this documentary.

It is certainly not the first time that I hear of these expeditions.

However, in the past I watched them as if they were fiction.

But in fact, these are real decisions that people make.

So if they do, I can as well...

Anyway, not sure what the connection between the docu

and my present moment is (maybe it tapped into the zeitgeist of what I am all about: travel, adventure, art, music, nature and living socially conscious) but it certainly kept me thinking.

Highly recommended.

Printemps

..."that beauty is often where you don't expect to find it"

"that is something we may discover and also invent, then reinvent, for ourselves..."

"keep your eyes wide open, because you never know what you will discover."

(The Accidental Masterpiece on the Art of Life

and Vice Versa)

A Burst of Fresh Air

A medley of inspirations

That day of the year....

....dedicated to us, Women

(at least on paper).

International Women's Day

Original poster from 1914

This time I will not say more about it

I will not make a call

or any kind of statement.

A few months ago (1/4/12),
I entered a post that said it all.

Today, I just wanted to recongnize the day

and share a brief history about it:

"International Women's Day (IWD), originally called International Working Women’s Day, is marked on March 8 every year, started as a Socialist political event, the holiday blended in the culture of many countries, primarily Eastern Europe, Russia, and the former Soviet bloc. 

In many regions, the day lost its political flavour, and became simply an occasion for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother's Day and St Valetine's Day. 

In other regions, however, the original political and human rights theme designated by the United Narions runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner."

A tribute

David Doernberg

On July 4, 2010 I met Dave Doernberg at a 4th of July BBQ in NYC.

I liked the guy. 

He was funny, witty, friendly, talented and with an exquisite taste for beauty and food.

I believe the connection was mutual.

A year ago he was diagnosed with stomach cancer.

After a painful and courageous struggle to fight it off,

he died yesterday, March 2, 2012.

He was 44.

He will be highly missed by many.

Life is way too short.

Oh, Wow...

Today I had the enormous honor to meet activist, artist
and source of inspiration

Harry Belafonte.

Since 4PM (EST) that the meeting ended

I have been thinking how I was going to share the moment with you.

I am sorry to say that it is close to midnight and I still haven't figured it out,

so I apologize in advance for what it might be a content-less post.

I could give you an account of his impressive trajectory

as a singer, an actor, a producer, an activist or a humanitarian

but I don't want to do it

mainly because it would make the post insanely long.

Instead, what I will do is share a few reflections
of what I took out of my hour and a half with Mr. Belafonte,

and leave you with the option of reading his autobiography

or watching his autobiographic film (both titled, Sing your Song) at your pleasure.

He reminded me how short life is and how incredibly wonderful and rich life can be.

How we get lost, find excuses to not fight for our dreams and beliefs,

and end up taking the easy path -

even when we know that it won't lead us to happines.

He reminded me that we all, regardless of where we live, where we come from or who we are,

are unique catalyst for change.

That we have the power to become who we want want to become 

live the lives that we want to live

and make meaningful contributions to our world.

He reminded me that we have choices

that we can make things happen

even  when we encouter the strongest resistance.

I hope I can keep these reminders with me.

Good night.