Memory as a (Faulty) Representational Apparatus

The impact of memory on the production of Latin American art is essentially a question of identity. Memory and a sense of history help to establish identity on many levels: for a greater Latin American context, for a nation, for an ethnic group, for a displaced people, or for an individual artist.

Memory is a structure on which the concept of a Latin American identity can be built upon. In the memories of the people of Latin America, a greater identity is created through shared memories that surpass national boundaries and individual histories to create a collective memory. An example of this greater Latin American identity through shared memory can be seen in Cildo Meireles’ Massão/Missões (How to Build Cathedrals), 1987. The work references the suffering that Latin Americans faced during the colonial era at the hands of church and state. The 600,000 coins represent the wealth of the state of Portugal, and the 2000 bones the suffering and extermination faced primarily by slaves and indigenous peoples. Between them sits a slender pillar of 800 communion wafers, representing the wealth of the Roman Catholic Church as an extension of the wealth of the state, and thus linked to the cruelty faced by Latin Americans. It is also a reference to Jesuit missionary work during the Baroque era. This work is a reflection of a collective memory of the exploitation faced during the colonial period, put into an "neo - Baroque" context in order to appropriate the suffering and exploitation into a greater concept of a Latin American identity through shared history.

The idea of memory can also reference indigenism, and its link to the collective memory of Latin American peoples. The celebration of indigenous art can be tied with the movement towards legitimizing art created in Latin America, not as an extension of European art, but rather as its own entity.  Latin American people with indigenous roots still often preserve much of their native traditions in daily life, giving them a real presence in the concept of culture in the present day. This being said, the idea of indigenism is somewhat removed from the people to a greater sense of indigenism for a cause. Diego Rivera, for example, references the indigenous peoples as a way of separating Latin American culture from the traditional idea of the European canon of art. As such, his indigenous people in his murals, such as in Flower Day, 1925, are generalizations of native peoples without individual character. In this way the idea of indigenism serves the public memory of Latin Americans, establishing native history as a sort of social protest. There is also the celebration of technological, social, and cultural advancement of the Pre-Columbian civilizations that, while perhaps glorifying the past cultures into a kind of Utopia, creates a sense of history beyond a European tradition that Latin Americans can take pride in.

Memory also serves as a basis for nationalism. Weaving in traditions of many of the cultures residing in a nation into the art produced there creates a sense of national memory that integrates the many ethnicities. In Mexican art, for example, Afro-Mexican, Hispanic, and indigenous traditions in art are often brought together to create a uniquely Mexican identity that recalls historical and present day struggles, and the pride in being Mexican. This is exemplified in the works of Mexican muralists such as Diego Rivera, which create a composite image of identity and history for modern Mexican society to identify with.
There is also the important role of memory for the individual artist. Personal memories often coincide with the greater collective identities found throughout Latin America and a greater sense of history. An excellent example of this can be found in the work of Frida Kahlo. In her deeply personal self-portraits, she explores the hardships that she has faced throughout her life, such as debilitating physical trauma and her tumultuous relationship with Diego Rivera. Kahlo’s paintings do not just reference her own memories of her lifetime, however; she also situates herself as part of a larger “authentic Mexican identity.” In The Two Fridas, 1939, Kahlo shows herself as part of a larger dialogue between the colonial power of Europe and the indigenous people of Mexico. In doing so, she addresses public history and memory, while also examining her own position between the two cultures.

Memory also plays an important role in the identities of people who have faced displacement, and thus face the notion of hybridity in their concept of their history and roots. This is the case in the culture of Latin Americans of African descent, who have established their own unique culture through their transport to the Caribbean as slaves. The Santería religion, established as a hybrid between African and Christian beliefs, is an example of this hybrid memory. Cuban artists also have a memory of identity displacement, and reference their hybridity in their work. Ana Mendieta, for example, identifies with a number of identities, each with its own memories and cultural traditions. She references her status as a woman, being Cuban, Santería, the idea of being an “islander”, as well as her ties to the United States.

Memory also finds a place in modern art and architecture in Latin America. Modernity seems at first to be a paradoxical place to find the influence of memory, but its influence is indeed important. Throughout Latin America there are the remnant buildings of nineteenth century colonialism, created in the neoclassical architectural style popular in Europe at that time. The Baroque era for Latin America represents a time in history when the people were subjugated and exploited, and had European values imposed upon them. In comparison, modern architecture in Latin American countries such as Brazil is viewed as being representative of hope and the advancement of civilization. In the use of modern architecture in Brasilia, for example, there is the continuation of culture beyond the memory of what is European into something that is Utopian in aim, and creates a new concept of identity that is not based on Europe.

Memory, as presented in Latin American art, serves as both an expression and a creation of identity. The complex and rich history of Latin America establishes a diverse memory that, rather than forming one “Latin American” narrative, provides insight into the myriad of cultures present in Latin American countries today.  Through memory, people within a culture feel a sense of pride, as well as a common heritage.

Sarah Anderson
November 2009

References
Ades, Dawn. Art in Latin America. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1989.
Brett, Guy. Transcontinental. London: Verso, 1990.
Lozano, Luis-Martín. Mexican Modern Art, 1900-1950. Ottawa: National Gallery of Canada, 1999.
Sullivan, Edward J., ed. Latin American Art in the Twentieth Century. New York: Phaidon Press, 1996.
Traba, Marta. Art of Latin America: 1900-1980. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 1994.
Wood, Paul. Conceptual Art. New York: Delano Greenridge Editions, 2002.