Santiago, arrival city: curatorial practices and exhibition design for the construction of performative displays

Abstract

This visual essay considers the exhibition Santiago, ciudad destino (Santiago, arrival city) , presented at Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral (GAM) in Santiago during 2019. The exhibition explored current local issues in Chile concerning immigration, displacement and social integration. The creative process integrated di ff erent disciplines and consequently produced unique collaborative displays. Both the curatorial practice and the design pos-sibilities of the space served as research opportunities to explore di ff erent modes of par-ticipation. The aim was that the organization of displays would activate a performative space that would transmit the content through di ff erent forms. The installation space had several constraints, mainly related to the white cube limitations of a visual arts exhibition space. Dimmed lights were used to stage a theatrical ambience in which both per-forming objects and visitors would be highlighted. The idea was to display the audience interacting in a dramatic and playful manner, and to articulate speculative spaces for reading the issues exposed about immigration. studios and theory courses at undergraduate and graduate levels. His work explores relationships between architecture, public space, society, visual arts and performance in di ff erent formats.