Publication Date

Spring 2025

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La lucha palestina en el muro: Archivando el arte callejero propalestina en

Santiago, Chile

Sofía Nikté López-Aleshire

https://archivodeartepropalestina.my.canva.site/

Abstract

Chile is home to the largest Palestinian diaspora community outside of the Arab world. This cultural presence is heavily reflected in Chile’s visual culture, particularly through politically charged street art. This paper contextualizes the history of the Palestinian diaspora in Chile as well as evolution of muralism as a political tool in the country to analyze how Santiago’s contemporary street art expresses solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for territory and self-determination. While pro-Palestinian art is gaining recognition in the Chilean academic sphere through gallery and institutional spaces, street art remains significantly underrepresented. Due to its physical vulnerability as an impermanent art form and its lack of institutional support, muralism risks erasure and going undocumented, especially when communicating marginalized narratives. This research confronts the urgency of preservation by creating a digital archive of contemporary murals in Santiago that convey solidarity with Palestinian social struggles. The project aims to amplify the visibility of both the artworks and their creators, making their dialogues accessible to a broader audience. This paper examines the creative process and impact of the archive, while underscoring primary forms of artistic expression present in the murals. This investigation is methodologically grounded in fieldwork, photography, and interviews, which have been synthesized within the archive. By providing insight into how muralism promotes collective memory, social resistance, and intercultural solidarity, it contributes to the interdisciplinary fields of visual art, social struggles, and diasporic studies.

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | Social and Behavioral Sciences

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