Provisions

Title: Provisions
Description: The seemingly cheery scene in this arpillera likely reveals one of the harsher realities of life under Pinochet. Townsfolk are seemingly going about their day, picking up brown packages. The packages are provisions, most likely food or other small necessities. Under the military dictatorship, Chile suffered an economic crisis and arpilleras often represented the survival strategies of poor families in the shantytowns of Santiago. While this arpillera depicts the impact of the economic crisis, it also shows us how the communities mobilized to help one another.
Contributor: Analysis by Jillian Younger