CULTURE: GENERAL INFORMATION
The characteristic aspects that distinguish Chile from the rest of the Latin American countries in cultural terms are linked to the presence of a sort of folkloric and artistic “label”, the chilenidad, which has become a symbol of identity and cultural difference, although also based on elements of exogenous origin, introduced by Europeans who arrived in the country. Art, crafts, parties, music have constantly referred to this sort of paradigm; however, in the twentieth century Chile, a country located in South America according to searchforpublicschools, was able to open up to the Western world, welcome suggestions and rework its culture in its many manifestations, which the dictatorship was only able to put aside for a few years, but not to eliminate. Hence the constant “becoming” which at the beginning of the year 2000 informs the artistic and intellectual scenarios of the country. Another peculiar note of Chile is the presence, in the literary field, of an epic elaborated in the sixteenth century, from which the whole national literary tradition took shape, diversified and made, from time to time, P. Neruda, I. Allende and L. Sepúlveda to realize the quality of the Chilean panorama. Civil issues, as can be guessed, were also at the center of many of the musical, theatrical and cinematographic productions of the second half of the twentieth century, which often saw artists forced into exile. After the dictatorship, the creative research of painters, sculptors, composers, directors and writers has returned to range even on broader themes and forms, without however losing the pathos and the attention, also stylistic, that have distinguished the works of the twentieth century seen and experienced between the Andes and the Pacific: from avant-garde theater to “narrative films”, from childhood literature or spiritual research to the use of new media for installations and contemporary works of art. Symbol of this ” panta rei ” is undoubtedly Santiago, the crossroads and fulcrum of the country with its different architectures, museums (of national history, fine arts, pre-Columbian art), sumptuous Catholic churches, markets of handicraft and the Paseo Ahumada, a meeting place for artists. Scattered throughout the country there are dozens of other places of cultural value, ideally represented by the sites that the UNESCO has included in the World Heritage List: the Rapa Nui National Park, the indigenous name of Easter Island (1995), the churches of Chiloé (2000), the historic center of Valparaíso (2003), the saltpeter refineries of Humberstone and Santa Laura (2005, UNESCO endangered site) and the mining town of Sewell (2006).
CULTURE: TRADITIONS
Chilean folklore offers a wholly singular example of well-differentiated uses and customs that are not based on ancient traditions. Groups with established traditions and customs have created their own folklore, with stubborn opposition to external cultural intrusions. This happened, at a popular level, already in the Colombian era, when the resistance of the indigenous people refused any colonizing contribution; subsequently, when the social fabric was almost completely renewed, the phenomenon of folkloristic autonomy was repeated. However, the original cultural elements have been lost and traces of primitive folklore no longer exist (the Mapuche, a conspicuous ethnic minority, are perhaps the purest pre-Columbian Chileans, but do not possess a rich folkloric heritage). There is, on closer inspection, an Araucan tradition and the little that can be grasped is not accepted by the Chileans. There chilenidad is constructed as an apparently autonomous artificial folklore, but substantially modeled on the Spanish archetype, evident in various sectors of life and used, paradoxically, as a matter of opposition to Hispanism. The chilenidad ultimately allows the Chilean not to be confused with the other provinces of the Spanish colonization. For this unusual situation, the Chileans, also folklorically, offer the example of a culture in the process of continuous transformation and always looking for new balances between modernity and tradition. Religious festivals always mix sacred and profane, such as the feast of St. Sebastian in Yumbel, that of the Virgin of Crisóbal in Santiago, or that of the Virgin of Guadeloupe, held in Aiquina (in the Atacama Desert). Contradictions and mixes are also found on civil holidays, such as that of 12 October, which commemorates the discovery of Columbus, and that of 18 September, which celebrates the independence achieved; on both occasions the republican spirit mixes with the exaltation of monarchical memories. An interesting aspect of the singular Chilean folklore is constituted by the music (see below), which goes from forms of Inca derivation to the very original production of the people of Tierra del Fuego (the Fuegians represented one of the most primitive cultures in the world and today still preserve in to some extent authentic traditions). The craftsmanship is generally utilitarian and not very sought after, quite uniform: typical are the fabrics in the north and the colored masks in the center and south. The basic ingredients of the cuisine are fish, beef, vegetables and fruit. In addition to very original production of the people of Tierra del Fuego (the Fuegians represented one of the most primitive cultures in the world and today still retain some authentic traditions to some extent). The craftsmanship is generally utilitarian and not very sought after, quite uniform: typical are the fabrics in the north and the colored masks in the center and south. The basic ingredients of the cuisine are fish, beef, vegetables and fruit. In addition to very original production of the people of Tierra del Fuego (the Fuegians represented one of the most primitive cultures in the world and today still retain some authentic traditions to some extent). The craftsmanship is generally utilitarian and not very sought after, quite uniform: typical are the fabrics in the north and the colored masks in the center and south. The basic ingredients of the cuisine are fish, beef, vegetables and fruit. In addition to tortillas, made with corn flour, there are various types of bread that accompany strong dishes such as grilled, or a large steak with fried eggs and chips (lomo a lo pobre). One of the most popular national dishes is certainly curanto, made with lamb, pork, beef, potatoes, fish and seafood.
