Building parallel words. Experience of creative representation and materialities for the restoration of degraded areas.

Main Article Content

Teresa Sanz
Beatriz Rodríguez Labajos

Abstract

In Chile, the irreversible socio-environmental degradation of five "sacrifice zones" is the legacy of neoliberal policies of irresponsible industrialization and firstization of the economy. The aggressive extractivism suffered by these areas, ignores and demolishes values and lifestyles different from the dominant development model. Local populations in resistance have found in artistic actions, such as murals, music and performance, a way of recognition and restoration, which to date has been little theorized.


Our aim is, therefore, to analyze artistic expressions as promoters of relational values towards the restoration of areas degraded by the accumulation of transnational capital. Empirically, we study the Quintero and Puchuncaví Sacrifice Zone (ZSQP), in the Valparaíso Region. In the ZSQP, pollution not only affected the livelihoods of traditional economies (fishing and agriculture), but also devalued local history, traditional identity and practices, and the social fabric. After analyzing 35 interviews with activists and artists in the ZSQP, we examine two transformative aspects of the artistic practices: the potential of artistic representation and, on the other hand, the experience of the creative act.


The results show that through the experience of artistic actions, values degraded by industrial development are promoted, especially memory, identity and social cohesion. The material dimension of art restores spaces and relationships, by placing bodies and imaginaries made invisible by industrial development. In conclusion, we highlight that the relational potential in the experience of both its content and its context. In this way we contribute both to the literature on art committed to the socio-environmental crisis, as well as to theories on the transformation of degraded areas.

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How to Cite
Sanz, T. ., & Rodríguez Labajos, B. (2021). Building parallel words. Experience of creative representation and materialities for the restoration of degraded areas. Heterotopías, 4(8), 1-25. https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/heterotopias/article/view/36166
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Author Biographies

Teresa Sanz, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Ambiental - Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona

Teresa Sanz holds a degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of the Basque Country. She is currently a pre-doctoral researcher at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. She is a member of the Global Atlas of Environmental Justice research project, EJAtlas co-founded by Joan Martínez-Alier and the CLAMOR project (Environmental activism, art and justice) directed by Beatriz Rodríguez-Labajos. At the same time, she is an actress and theater director in several companies working in Barcelona. Her research project consists of unveiling the role of artistic practices in environmental conflicts. She has experience in field work with resistance movements to coal-related projects in Oakland, California and Valparaiso, Chile. During the latter experience, she directed the short film "En-tierra Mineral" about the Zona de Sacrificio in Quintero-Puchuncaví.

tsanz15@gmail.com

 

Beatriz Rodríguez Labajos, Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Ambiental - Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona

Beatriz Rodríguez-Labajos is an ecological economist and researcher at the Institute for Environmental Science and Technology of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (ICTA-UAB). She was a Marie Curie Fellow based at the Energy and Resources Group of UC Berkeley (2018-2021). She was assistant professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (2005-2009), professor at the Autonomous University of the Mexico State (1997-2003) and Autonomous University of Zacatecas (1996). Trained as an economist, she obtained MSc in Ecological economics and environmental management and a PhD in Environmental Sciences at the UAB. Her research interests are the socioeconomic dimensions of biodiversity, environmental justice, creative activism and digital humanities. Her field experience includes regions of Europe, US, Latin America, and South East Asia. Her publications focus on biodiversity conservation, social perception of invasive species, environmental conflicts, water management, and agro-ecosystems. She was a scientific advisor of the Water Catalan Agency and deputy coordinator of the EJOLT project. Currently, she coordinates the CLAMOR project (https://ourclamor.org).

beatriz.rodriguez@uab.cat

 

How to Cite

Sanz, T. ., & Rodríguez Labajos, B. (2021). Building parallel words. Experience of creative representation and materialities for the restoration of degraded areas. Heterotopías, 4(8), 1-25. https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/heterotopias/article/view/36166

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