New York Street Art (Graffiti) in Santiago

Exhibit: “Arte Callejero de Nueva York” (New York Street Art) featuring photography by Leonora Calderón – Open from now until December 23, 2007.

Chilean photographer Leonora Calderón sought out some of the best street art (what some may think of as graffiti) in the Big Apple, and her photos are incredible. Yesterday I went into the exhibit with high expectations (as I love street art), and it more than exceeded them. This is a must-see for anyone interested in modern art or urban culture.

Each one of the 30 or so photographs shown in the small two-room gallery spoke its own message. Some themes included comedic representations of New Yorkers, a huge mural of legendary rapper Biggie Smalls, and various political messages. My favorite would have to be the plump sexualized Lady Liberty held on a leash by a monkey with the face of an all-too-familiar head of state (see below). If that’s not political art at its finest, I don’t know what is.

Getting there: Head to metro Puente Cal y Canto on Line 2 (yellow). The exhibit is in the Sala de Fotografía (Photography Room) on the second floor of Estación Mapocho, the huge building you’ll see as you surface from the depths of the Santiago underground.

Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 10:30 am – 2:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Closed Mondays.

Cost: Free

Make sure to take one of the free gallery guides, as they have great color pictures of all of the big prints in the exhibit. Estacion Mapocho is also located super close to Bandera (for used clothes shopping), Mercado Central (if you want to grab a touristy seafood lunch or dinner) and La Vega Central (where Santiago goes to buy its produce).

Awesome Open Art Display – Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo

Want to see a living, breathing art museum? The School of Design at the University of Chile allows its students and professors to decorate their own campus, resulting in an extremely dynamic art environment that constantly changes and improves. The building’s bold marigold façade frequently gets covered with student murals and posters, and each locker on campus has been painted by its individual owner. There are new things popping up every week, including full size sculptures made from all sorts of materials.

I probably wouldn’t have even known about the school had I not been afforded the opportunity to study there. Fortunately, the Geography department is on the same campus, so I get to see the student art display change on a daily basis. The tin men seen here have been a theme this entire semester, and have been seen riding horse sculptures, crossing a pedestrian walkway in Abby Road fashion, and seated behind the desk of a security booth reading a newspaper (it was classic, sorry for not having a picture).

Make sure you go during daylight and give yourself at least an hour to wander the entire campus, as there is something around every corner. I still find undiscovered surprises and new displays all the time.

The campus is open from 8am to 9pm M-F and I’m pretty sure it’s open on Saturdays, although I can’t tell you for sure. Getting there is only a minute’s walk from Metro Universidad Católica. Map. It’s also only a few blocks away from both Plaza Italia and Cerro Santa Lucia.