¡Buen Vivir! Gallery to Close, but Live Virtual Opening of “Chile: Peoples’ Uprising” Scheduled

Dear friends – The gallery just sent the following press release out this morning to local, national and international media. We thank everyone who have supported the gallery, came to shows and the exhibitors since we first opened our doors in 2014. This was tough to do but all of us at the Gallery and Global Justice Ecology Project believe that when one door closes, another opens. ¡Buen vivir! means life in harmony between humans, communities, and the Earth–where work is not a job to make others wealthier, but for a livelihood that is sustaining, fulfilling, and in tune with the common good ¡Buen Vivir! Gallery – !presente! – Orin Langelle

Santiago de Chile: Water cannons chase crowd. A caustic liquid was mixed with the water to irritate the skin and lungs. Water cannons were strategically used to target street medics and the Red Cross. PHOTO: Langelle/GJEP

For Immediate Release July 9, 2020

Buffalo, NY – The ¡Buen Vivir! Gallery for Contemporary Art is permanently closing its physical gallery in Buffalo. The COVID-19 pandemic is precipitating this action as the gallery, known for its cutting edge social and cultural mission, will move its final exhibit on-line. A live virtual exhibit opening of Chile: Peoples’ Uprising / An Exhibition of Images from the Front Lines is now scheduled for July 30.

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Buffalo Spree’s Associate Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Licata said of the gallery’s impact, “Buffalo’s activist community has risen up over the past few years, for many reasons. During that same time, Buen Vivir has served as an important outlet for the essential documentation of activism, both here in WNY and throughout the world. Especially in the field of environmental activism, Buen Vivir has helped the voices of resistance to be heard. Its closing is a loss.” Buffalo Spree is an award-winning magazine in Western New York, now in its 51st year of publishing.

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Chile: Peoples’ Uprising, previously scheduled to open April 3, was postponed due to the pandemic. A live virtual opening is now planned for Thursday, July 30, starting at 1 p.m. Eastern, noon Central, 11 a.m. MST, 10 a.m. PST, 13:00 Chile.

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The virtual opening will feature photos and videos shot in November and December of 2019 in the ongoing peoples’ uprising in Chile. From Santiago to the streets of Temuco to Indigenous Mapuche land occupations in stolen Mapuche territory, the gallery’s founders Anne Petermann and Orin Langelle were in Chile during the uprising from mid-November to mid-December.

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Joining Langelle and Petermann in the virtual opening will be Chilean activist Alejandra Parra from Red de Acción por los Derechos Ambientales (RADA) in Chile, along with Biofuelwatch’s Gary Hughes based in California. The four formed the documentary team co-sponsored by Global Justice Ecology Project and Biofuelwatch.

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The gallery, sponsored by Global Justice Ecology Project and run by activist photojournalist Orin Langelle, opened on October 3, 2014 with Climate Change: Places, Faces and Protest. It was followed by twelve other exhibits including Pittsburgh’s #notwhitecollective, NYC artist Cassandra, Communications Equipment Seized by FBI Released 14 Years Later (Returned Objects: A Multimedia Art Installation) and The End of the Game – The Last Word from Paradise, Revisited.

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Photographer Langelle will continue to showcase his work online https://photolangelle.org.

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People wishing to take part in the virtual exhibit opening, please register here.

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Contact: Theresa Church, Global Justice Ecology Project, +1.716.931.5833 theresa2@globaljusticeecology.org.

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Chile: Peoples’ Uprising Exhibit

An Exhibit of Images from the Front Lines

We are happy to announce this upcoming exhibit. Photos and videos were shot in November and December of 2019 in the ongoing People’s Uprising in Chile. From Santiago and Temuco’s streets to the Indigenous Mapuche land occupations in the communities of Liempi Colipi and Quilape Lopez, Anne Petermann and Orin Langelle had the honor of being part of the uprising as documentarians. The Red Masks in Resistance movement photo below has history with the performance of !Un violador en tu camino! (The rapist in your path). The anti-rapist anthem and dance is planned to be performed by a local women’s group at the opening – lyrics and video below.

Hundreds of women march together into Plaza de la Dignidad. Women have a lead role in the protests, including the Red Masks in Resistance movement, and created an anthem for women’s rights that has gone viral: ¡El Violador en Tu Camino! [The Rapist in Your Path]. photo Orin Langelle/Global Justice Ecology Project (2019)

April Exhibit at the ¡Buen Vivir! Gallery for Contemporary Art in Allentown, Buffalo

Chile: Peoples’ Uprising

An Exhibit of Images from the Front Lines

by Orin Langelle and Anne Petermann

A massive popular uprising in Chile began on 18 October 2019. Millions are demanding a new economic and political system in Chile and a new constitution. Chile’s existing Constitution was written during the Pinochet Dictatorship installed by the U.S. in 1973.

Women have a lead role in the protests, including the Red Masks in Resistance movement (photo above), and created an anthem for women’s rights that has gone viral: El Violador en Tu Camino also called ¡El Violador es Tu! [The Rapist is You!]. It is performed by women all over the world.

Where: ¡Buen Vivir! Gallery for Contemporary Art, 148 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY

Opening Reception: Friday, 3 April, 6 – 9 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres & refreshments served

!Un violador en tu camino! (The rapist in your path) is emblematic of the uprising in Chile. Well directed anger, spirit, strength, art and love:

Lyrics – Organized by a Chilean feminist collective, LASTESIS, the performance was titled !Un violador en tu camino! (The rapist in your path). The song and accompanying dance takes on the patriarchy as the cause both of violence against women and the victim shaming that often comes after. Y la culpa no era mía, ni dónde estaba, ni cómo vestía, they sang (and the fault wasn’t mine, not where I was, not how I dressed). Please watch LASTESIS video below the English translation.

!Un violador en tu camino!

[Keep arms loose at your side, march in place to the beat for the first eight verses] El patriarcado es un juez

Que nos juzga por nacer
Y nuestro castigo
Es la violencia que no ves.

El patriarcado es un juez,
Que nos juzga por nacer
Y nuestro castigo
Es la violencia que ya ves.

Es feminicidio

[Place hands behind the head, squat up and down]

Impunidad para el asesino

[Repeat movement above]

Es la desaparición

[Repeat movement above]

Es la violación

[Repeat movement above]

[Run in place, but without lifting feet from the ground; move forearms up and down in sync with the feet]

Y la culpa no era mía, ni dónde estaba, ni cómo vestía
Y la culpa no era mía, ni dónde estaba, ni cómo vestía
Y la culpa no era mía, ni dónde estaba, ni cómo vestía
Y la culpa no era mía, ni dónde estaba , ni cómo vestía

El violador eras tú
[Extend right arm straight out in front of you, pointing]
El violador eres tú

[Repeat movement above]

Son los pacos
[Point left]
Los jueces
[Point right]
El estado
[Raise arms, pointing in circle around the head]
El presidente

[Cross forearms above the head]

[Move forearms up and down rhythmically, fist closed]
El estado opresor es un macho violador
El estado opresor es un macho violador

El violador eras tú

[Extend left arm straight out in front of you, pointing]

El violador eres tú

[Repeat movement above]

[Cup hands around mouth to amplify shouting]

Duerme tranquila niña inocente,
sin preocuparte del bandolero,
que por tus sueños dulce
y sonriente vela tu amante carabinero.

El violador eres tú

[Extend right arm straight our in front of you, pointing]

El violador eres tú
[repeat movement above]
El violador eres tú
[repeat movement above]
El violador eres tú

[repeat movement above]

A rapist in your path! (English translation)

The patriarchy is a judge
that judges us for being born
and our punishment
is the violence you don’t see.

The patriarchy is a judge
that judges us for being born
and our punishment
is the violence that have seen.

It’s femicide.
Impunity for the killer.
It’s disappearance.
It’s rape.

And the fault wasn’t mine, not where I was, not how I dressed
And the fault wasn’t mine, not where I was, not how I dressed
And the fault wasn’t mine, not where I was, not how I dressed
And the fault wasn’t mine, not where I was, not how I dressed

The rapist is you.
The rapist is you.

It’s the cops,
The judges,
The state,
The president.

The oppressive state is a rapist.
The oppressive state is a rapist.

The rapist is you
The rapist is you

“Sleep calmly, innocent girl
Without worrying about the bandit,
Over your dreams smiling and sweet,
watches your loving cop.”

The rapist is you
The rapist is you
The rapist is you
The rapist is you

Video Note: The women wearing blindfolds relates to the fact that over 350 people have suffered by being intentionally shot in the head with rubber coated pellets by the Carabineros de Chile (Chilean National Police – the same but derogatory street word is Pacos).