Analysis of No Más Exilio arpillera

Item

Title
Analysis of No Más Exilio arpillera
Relation
No más exilio
extracted text
​Will​​Mitchell​

​This​​arpillera​​has​​two​​halves.​​The​​left​​side​​depicts​​a​​village,​​with​​houses​​and​​people​
​carrying​​different​​items.​​The​​items​​are​​made​​out​​of​​wool,​​and​​the​​people​​all​​have​​pink​​arms,​
​meaning​​I​​believe​​they​​are​​women.​​The​​right​​half​​shows​​a​​plane​​flying​​away,​​with​​people​​under​
​it​​demonstrating​​by​​holding​​a​​sign​​saying​​“no​​mas​​exilio”,​​no​​more​​exile.​​There​​is​​one​
​background​​for​​both​​sides,​​showing​​mountains,​​likely​​the​​Andes,​​and​​a​​red​​sun.​​This​​seems​​to​​be​
​a​​coastal​​town,​​so​​the​​sun​​is​​likely​​rising​​in​​the​​east​​in​​this​​arpillera.​​I​​believe​​this​​is​​to​​represent​
​hope,​​with​​the​​blood​​red​​color​​as​​a​​reminder​​of​​what​​has​​already​​been​​lost.​​Each​​new​​sunrise​
​may​​be​​a​​reason​​to​​hope,​​but​​it​​also​​brings​​with​​it​​more​​death​​and​​loss.​​Pinochet’s​​brutal​​military​
​dictatorship​​in​​Chile​​was​​known​​for​​“disappearing”​​people​​deemed​​to​​be​​enemies​​of​​the​​state​​or​
​dangers​​to​​their​​regime.​​A​​majority​​of​​these​​people​​were​​men,​​leading​​women​​to​​have​​to​​lead​
​more​​active​​lives​​outside​​the​​home​​to​​provide​​for​​their​​families.​​Sometimes,​​people​​were​
​disappeared​​by​​being​​flown​​into​​the​​ocean​​and​​dropped​​into​​the​​water,​​never​​to​​be​​seen​​again.​
​The​​plane​​in​​this​​arpillera​​has​​many​​red​​demarcations​​on​​it,​​likely​​to​​signify​​blood​​and​​death​​and​

​show​​how​​planes​​took​​people​​away​​into​​the​​ocean​​to​​dispose​​of​​them.​​The​​women​​(with​​pink​
​arms)​​underneath​​protesting,​​I​​believe,​​are​​meant​​to​​show​​how​​people​​didn’t​​submit​​at​​the​​time​​to​
​the​​authoritarian​​regime,​​and​​that​​there​​was​​resistance.​​It​​also​​goes​​against​​the​​idea​​that​​women​
​are​​weak​​or​​too​​fearful​​to​​do​​anything,​​showing​​women​​risking​​their​​lives​​for​​what​​they​​believe​
​in.​​The​​left​​half​​has​​multiple​​layers.​​Firstly,​​I​​believe​​it​​is​​meant​​to​​show​​some​​semblance​​of​
​normalcy,​​how​​everyday​​life​​can​​feel​​the​​same​​as​​it​​was.​​It​​also​​shows​​the​​strength​​of​​women,​​as​
​they​​were​​the​​ones​​providing​​for​​their​​families​​and​​working​​through​​terrible​​grief​​and​​loss​​to​
​provide​​for​​their​​families.​​Finally,​​it​​shows​​the​​ways​​in​​which​​people​​banded​​together​​and​​helped​
​each​​other​​to​​survive.​​The​​items​​the​​women​​are​​shown​​to​​be​​carrying​​resemble​​haphazard​​and​
​makeshift​​products,​​and​​one​​woman​​seems​​to​​be​​getting​​something​​from​​another’s​​home.​​This​
​was​​common​​as​​people​​had​​to​​help​​each​​other​​with​​the​​lack​​of​​basic​​goods​​being​​available.​​The​
​house​​at​​the​​bottom​​of​​the​​left​​side​​could​​also​​represent​​an​​arpillera-making​​workshop,​​with​​the​
​side​​serving​​to​​show​​how​​arpillera-making​​helped​​people​​to​​connect​​and​​get​​through​​the​
​struggle.​​People​​were​​able​​to​​talk​​to​​one​​another,​​make​​extra​​money,​​and​​do​​something​
​meaningful​​through​​arpillera-making.​​The​​arpillera-making​​workshop​​being​​on​​the​​left​​side​
​(depicting​​a​​decent-looking​​town)​​could​​symbolize​​how​​arpilleras​​were​​not​​simply​​a​​way​​to​
​remember​​and​​protest,​​but​​also​​a​​way​​for​​people​​to​​get​​through​​the​​struggle​​together.​​A​​way​​for​
​life​​to​​feel​​less​​grim.​​I​​believe​​the​​trees,​​like​​the​​mountains,​​are​​meant​​to​​show​​continuity​​and​
​normalcy​​through​​all​​the​​bad.​​I​​believe​​the​​sun​​being​​on​​the​​right​​side​​of​​the​​arpillera​​shows​​the​
​balance​​of​​the​​two​​feelings,​​how​​there​​were​​brief​​moments​​of​​seeming​​normalcy​​and​​coming​
​together​​to​​get​​through​​the​​brutality,​​but​​most​​of​​the​​time​​it​​felt​​like​​doing​​the​​impossible,​
​standing​​on​​water​​and​​protesting​​at​​a​​plane​​flying​​further​​and​​further​​away.​​The​​“normal”​
​moments​​interrupted​​the​​fear,​​helplessness,​​and​​desperation,​​not​​the​​other​​way​​around.​
Item sets
Arpillera analyses
Media
No Más Exilio analysis - Jack Ellis
No Más Exilio analysis - Will Mitchell