Ester Chacón-Ávila: Bringing Textiles to Life. An approach to her textile works as living sculptures

Abstract

The objective of this article is to reflect, from an art historical perspective, on the textile work of Chilean artist Ester Chacón-Ávila (b. 1936) through an investigation of her works in collections and archives in Barcelona, Paris, and Santiago de Chile. It proposes an approach focused on the creation of her living sculptures as art actions inscribed in a historical context marked by the civil-military dictatorship in Chile and exile in France during the 1980s. To this end, we will address her knot-working technique, drawing on a hybridization of practices, disciplines, and knowledge, in collaboration with other artists through the medium of body and movement. This will shed light on her place in art history and her connection to a Latin American tradition that understands textiles as a living entity. Based on these aspects, we propose a first reading of the work of an under-regarded artist who is a key reference for experimental and performative textile art. Finally, this article hopes to contribute to the study of textile art by women and the different ways in which art relates to political protests, from exile during the dictatorship in Chile.