Weavings of War

POSTED BY , 06 March 2007

Thanks to the Schmidt gallery at FAU for letting us film the exhibit and to NewTimes (http://www.newtimesbpb.com) for always printing the coolest events in town.  

Below are some excerpts from writings that were posted around the exhibit. some of the excerpts are quotes from the artists themselves. i hope this helps you get a feel of what the artists' were trying to convey.   

"Backed by the US Government, General Augusto Pinochet of Chile staged a military coup in 1973. The Socialist president Salvador Allende, who had embarked on an ambitious plan of nationalizing industry was assassinated. The reign of terror that followed was never officially called a war. "The Mothers of the Disappeared" united to share their grief, publicize their loss and demand an accounting." 

"Our country has never seen as much prostitution as in those years (under the Pinochet regime), where poor jobless women maintained their families by selling themselves and daughters in the streets. Many times the money that we got from the sale of the arpilleras (tapistries) paid some child's medical fees or gave relief to a workshop family member" Violeta Morales  age 64 Santiago, Chile 1989 

"The Sharpville massacre 1960, the police fired on a crowd of black protesters, killing 69. The figures with tires around their necks are being "necklaced" (a term used to describe the act of filling tires with gasoline, placing them around a person's neck and lighting it on fire), on suspicion of collaborating with the authorities. " South Africa 

"My father said that he had seven families that relied on him to get them to Thailand and he was afraid. But he said that if he showed it then they would all die." (the artist's daughter)  "Whenever somebody comes to visit the carpets in our home or our center we explain to them send your daughters to be educated for a profession besides carpet weaving. It is our message to them." Michgan Hozain Afghan weaver age 17 Kabul 2004 

peace, c