ARTS OF RESISTANCE
Arts of Resistance: Politics and the Past in Latin America, Curated by Dr. Laura Osorio Sunnucks, who holds a PhD in Mesoamerican art and heritage, is an exhibit that was held at the Museum of Anthropology from May 17, 2018 to September 30, 2018. The exhibition aims to “illustrate how communities in Latin America use traditional or historical art forms to express contemporary political realities” (as taken from the MOA website). By displaying an assortment of different pieces from various marginalized, indigenous and other communities in Latin American countries, the exhibit provides us an insight, through the lens of contemporary art, of how different cultural customs, practices and forms of rebellion can be tied back to Spanish conquests and Neo-colonialism found today in the 21st century and the effects that these ruling powers have and had over the people of these Latin American Countries.
From mask and tunics representing the devil, to various huipils, and audio recordings playing in different areas of the exhibit, there was a lot of information to absorb. However having been born in Mexico, I’ve always felt a sort of pride and nationalism when it comes to Latin American culture and its history of conquest and rebellions, as well just finding history cool in general, so much of the information presented wasn’t new to me, however it did expand my horizons of knowledge of other Latin American countries other than Mexico.
One of the objects that I have the most knowledge about and am most familiar with was the huipil. The huipil is a traditional garment worn by women that is similar to a tunic or a blouse. Materials for these huipils varied by geographical location and social status. Those who lived in high altitude regions wore huipi’s made of heavy materials such as wool due to its insulative properties and its ability to retain warmth when wet. Those who lived in lower, costal or arid regions wore ones made more of cotton. For those who were part Spanish, so those who were mestizos (half Indigenous and half Spanish), had to wear silk huipils that had heavy European influence in their design, compared to the traditional shape of those worn by completely indigenous peoples (It should be noted this is no longer the rule). However many little design elements were used do define themselves as indigenous, or a part of that community that was not obvious to the ruling powers at the time (the Spanish) and empower the people to discreetly resist the European influence that was being forced upon them in a silent rebellion of sorts. One of the littles design features the diamond shape, which is an important symbol to pre-Hispanic Latin American cultures. To a Spanish colonialist, it may just seem as a simple design to ad colour and flair to the garments or just as a simple shape. However to the knowing eye, It is meant to represent the center of the universe in a 3D shape, extending up and out wards connecting the ground to the sky, as well as north, east south and west. When trying to visualize this, think of the Mayan Pyramids, this is the exact design used on the huipils. Another design feature is colour. At first glance the colour of a huipil my be seen simply as a fashion statement or ones personal preference. While this is true, the various colours also represent the marital status of the person wearing it. Those with duller colours such as greys and browns were single and ready to mingle, while those who wore huipils with bright, vibrant colours such as reds, blues and yellows, were already taken.
Over all I must say I enjoyed the exhibit. It was jam packed with information and interesting pieces that each told their own story of struggle and resistance. While it was interesting, I found myself wanting more. I felt that this exhibit merely scratched the surface of these issues, which was probably the point.
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