HANGING TRENCHERS FOR STRONG CARTILAGES. Oyarzun / Werken

At the Venice Biennale 2017 (on display from May 13th until November 26th), there was an interesting National Chile Pavilion where artist Bernardo Oyarzun’s aim was to honour the amerindo people of Mapuche. His installation consisted of several wooden masks hanging in the air, skewered onto an iron stick into the floor. Along the walls of the room, scrolling on a led screen the actual surnames of the Mapuche people were displayed. Aesthetically speaking, it was a dialectic setup, the perception of death given by the masks revived through the “muffled breath” of the iron stems. In the past local governments tried to translate Mapuche’s surnames in Spanish, so the artist  also wanted to battle against the “linguistic disguise”, and its imposition in the name of clarity. Consequently nowadays only a few thousand patronymics among the Mapuche still exist. In general, we are now in the presence of a forced modernization due to the digitalization of the documents. But this adjustement is something that will only work for the Mapuche people by disappearing, in memory of the real surnames that trace back to the ages not recognized by European conquerors. It is also necessary to reject the paradox that wants the masks to preserve themselves because they are sufficiently “picturesque” to enrich the ethnographic tourism. It is something “passively muffled” and that goes against the requests to ensure political involvement! In Venice, Oyarzun chose to exhibit a mask that can be still handed down today: kollong. This mask is used by the Mapuche in a very theatrical way, giving a role to the community (for example a Spaniard or the captain).

The artist chose to call his installation Werken, which can be translated as Messenger. For the kollong ritual Rauli wood  is primarily used which in this instance, thanks to the light, looks like a bright pink colour, typical of the human palate. Generally we like to perceive the stems curving the air while savouring their own muffling on a meadow. The masks will not be deadly shaped as a tombstone, instead they will be awake with curiosity, aggressiveness, naivety, dejection etc… Overall, inevitably, the choral engagement will emerge. The “trencher” of the mask will itself become a palate for the message if only the Mapuche were hungry for political rights. But how much will they be discriminated against today? Thus, it would be easy to wear the mask in order to avoid protesting (maybe scared by reprisals from the central government). However, there’s strength in unity. In Oyarzun’s installation the element of the stick looks even tinier to symbolize the political reprisal. At the same time the choral quality helps to revitalise the tombstone of fear. It is something for strong palates. Of course some masks are more caricatured as, for example, those of the Spanish colonizers. But here the big laughs are not what satisfies the artist, because if there’s strength in unity, the single individual will take off the mask. He will not be afraid of any repression on his trencher. The protest, far from calling itself thirst for innocence (like the stems in the air), will be so hungry as to salivate, testing the toughness of strong palates (or powers).

The philosopher Bachelard studied the expression on the face that disguises itself by wearing a mask, for example in the act of lying. The psychiatrist Kuhn wrote a book about this subject. Canceling the naivety (or spontaneity) of the expression will inevitably reveal it emerging from some part of the body, overseen by the masking will. In particular, Bachelard invited the crowd to discern the numerous replenishments of the skin towards the soul. For example, those who want to mask the truthfulness of their expression will end up betraying themselves through physical signs, with the blushing gristle of the ear, the wincing nerve, the wide opening of the eyes, the wrinkle that  suddenly shapes itself, the ardent way of tightening the lips etc… right there the skin seems more tight. Hence it will bring its exteriority towards the intimacy of the person. Oyarzun created the masks in collaboration with some of the Mapuche. Within the rush, they try to make their own way, somehow bravely. Mostly, the various surnames will come back to the surface and to the public, and they will also reappear between the corners of the exhibit room. A subtle gasp from the sticks in the air will sound as a sign of protest along the line of led lights. This will colour the masks, in complicity with a “wooden cartilage”.

Paolo Meneghetti