This week is global we read more of “Threads of Protest” which talked about Cecilia Vicuña’s concepts and Quipus. We read one of her poems, “Invention of Writing by the Moon,” and talked about the importance and origin of textiles and weaving in Chile. We also worked on our personal projects, creating an arpillera. After learning about her, I think Cecilia Vicuña is a fascinating person. She is a poet and multidisciplinary artist who was born and raised in Chile. Her art exists at the intersection of word, thread, and gesture. She lived through Chile’s tumultuous politics and went into exile in 1973 after the death of President Allende and watched Pinochet’s reign of terror begin. Her art work reflects many of the events in her life, and engages themes of language and memory with an attention to decay and exile. Her work is considered a way of remembering. The title of her first work is “The Quipu that Remembers Nothing.” This title really reflects how fragile the art is, and how quipus were made to organize and record. I have really enjoyed learning more about Cecilia Vicuña, and seeing and reflecting on her art.
