Alfredo Jaar, Ausencias, 2025, wood, hardware & live plants

Hello Dan,

“We did it!” That was the festive mood at Capilla La Azul on Saturday, January 18, when more than two hundred people attended the opening of the exhibition Ausencias/Absences, featuring new work produced for the occasion by Alfredo Jaar and Osvaldo Güineo Obando. In fact, even though the event started at 4 pm, with the exhibition formally open an hour later, and the free raffle (which we use to get an accurate head count) held at 6, people kept streaming in long after 7 pm, and we ended up losing count. By then, the summer heat had tapered off, and keeping to Comarca Contuy tradition, everybody who arrived was offered something to eat and drink. To commemorate the occasion, watercolor sets were gifted to the kids, and an accordion trio playing traditional Chilote music kept people dancing as the sun slowly set on the festivities.

What had drawn La Capilla Azul’s biggest crowd to date wasn’t just the weather or the hospitality, but the reputations of the exhibiting artists. Alfredo Jaar is well-known internationally for rigorous, concept-based projects that invite viewers to see the world from a critical or historical perspective. His response to our invitation consisted of virtually re-creating the three square meters of volume that the building lost when it was transferred from its original location to the Comarca Contuy grounds, and the deteriorated wood discarded. There it functioned for years as storage for freshly-sheared wool, before it was restored and renovated in 2023 as a gallery. Jaar’s addition to the building is virtual in the sense that its external form is merely an outline, but he has also transformed the area within the enclosure into a robust planting of three species of blue flowers that will continue to bloom over the remaining summer months, to be repeated again next spring, and the spring after that.

Left: Alfredo Jaar, two views of Ausencias, 2025

Right: Alfredo Jaar, Marcela Contreras, Pablo Carvacho, Jan 18, 2025

Osvaldo Güineo has recently become a respected figure within the Chilote traditional arts community for his inventive use of the kelwo technique developed centuries ago by the original Mapuche-Huilliche cultures of Chiloé, and for his rigorous control of every aspect of his work’s production. Besides weaving, he spins his yarn from sheep grazing just outside his studio, and tints his fibers using ink made from nearby plants & minerals.

As one enters the chapel, a suspended textile in the chapel’s center shows Archangel Michael on a white ground. There’s blood on his upraised sword & more on the scales dangling from his right hand, with, more faintly, the outline of a rose stitched into his tunic. Further into the room, a larger woven textile is suspended in front of the far wall, showing two large roses in full bloom, two smaller ones on the verge of opening, & a single rosebud. By freely mixing Catholic, Indigenous, and animist imagery, Güineo uses Capilla Azul’s interior to visually play the present and the historical past off each other, in a state of dynamic interaction.

Besides sharing documentation of the opening on January 18 of Ausencias/Absences and the artists’ works, this issue of our newsletter also features a report written by co-founder Pablo Carvacho, about plans in 2025 to lay the groundwork for building a community library, located in a clearing of the forest behind La Capilla Azul. We’re also sharing a Letter from Contuy by Daniela Grossi, giving readers an insight into the unique force of nature that is Marcela Contreras Iturrieta — hostess, baker, artisan and chef extraordinaire, who coordinates all of the food and drink for La Capilla Azul’s happy visitors, and for Comarca Contuy the rest of the year. 

Thank you for reading and Happy New Year,

Dan Cameron

Osvaldo Güineo and his two-part Ausencias/Absences installation, January 18, 2025

Community meeting, Contuy, March 2, 2023

The project to create a Community Library at Comarca Contuy is the result of a community meeting in March 2023 that marked a milestone in our work in the territory. At that meeting, the residents of Contuy identified having a space dedicated to access to knowledge, culture and education as a priority. This consensus reflects the community's deep appreciation for cultural growth and human development in a rural and isolated environment.

Our library is envisioned as an essential node within the network of projects that we promote at Comarca Contuy. From the education program of art in rural schools to the artists’ residencies and contemporary art exhibitions at Capilla Azul, all our initiatives are in dialogue with each other, converging in the shared commitment to strengthening the culture of our community. The library will be a space for reading and study, as well as a place for meetings, workshops and activities that promote creativity, critical thinking and the exchange of knowledge. The library will include an audiobook section, facilitating access to content for people with reading difficulties, or who prefer an audio format.

plans for Biblioteca Comarca

International collaboration has been key to this project. Thanks to the generosity of Chloë Tran and Ambroise Parent de Chatelêt, French architecture students, we have an initial design that fully responds to functional needs, while also harmoniously integrating with the landscape and local identity. Their gesture of solidarity reinforces the collective nature of our initiative, enabling us to determine how to adapt Choloë’s and Ambroise’s project to our current environment.

In a territory like Chiloé, where geography imposes challenges of connectivity and access, the Community Library seeks to be a beacon for children, young people and adults. We firmly believe that access to books and knowledge can transform lives, open minds and strengthen the social fabric. This project is also a natural extension of our vision to understand art, education and culture as drivers of integral development and tools for community empowerment. The Community Library at Comarca Contuy is envisioned as more than a physical space. It is a collective dream taking shape thanks to commitment, participation and collaboration, and a reminder that communities in the most remote places can build their own future through culture and education.

-Pablo Carvacho, President, Sociocultural Corporation at Comarca Contuy

Above: Marcela Contreras, January 18, 2025

Below: Marcela's sourdough bread

Marcela Contreras is a fifty-year-old woman who has traveled a path full of transformations and learning. For much of her professional life, she dedicated herself to the health field, where she provided support and care to those who needed it most. However, ten years ago, she decided to make a radical change in her life and moved to Chiloé, specifically to Contuy, a town in the Queilen commune. There, she settled in a field surrounded by sheep, an environment that offered her the opportunity to reconnect with nature and explore new passions.

Upon arriving in Contuy, Marcela immersed herself in the rural world and quickly became friends with the neighbors in the community. It was in this welcoming environment that she began to learn to spin, a skill that awakened in her a deep connection with wool and textile art. Her passion for creation led her to participate in the formation of the Queilen group of weavers, where she shared her love for manual work and tradition. After a time, she embarked on her own path, creating beautiful wool animals. These pieces, full of expressiveness and nostalgia, caught the attention of those who saw them, evoking memories of childhood toys.

As she delved deeper into the artistic world, Marcela received recognition from the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, which awarded her a certificate as an artisan. This achievement not only validated her work, but also encouraged her to continue exploring her creativity and sharing her talent with others.

Together with her partner Pablo and a group of approximately fifteen people related to culture and heritage, Marcela transformed her beautiful surroundings into the Cultural Corporation of Comarca Contuy. This space has become a meeting place where such activities as photography festivals, artistic residencies and events that promote rural cultural development take place. The corporation has established links with universities and cultural centres at the national and international level. Capilla Azul, the exhibition space located in this same place deserves special mention. Born thanks to the impetus of Dan Cameron and Ramón Castillo, and collaboration with the inhabitants of the region, the Capilla exhibits contemporary and local artists throughout the year, enriching both visitors and the island community.

In each of these activities, Marcela has played a fundamental role, contributing her love and dedication through gastronomy. She stands out for her delicious breads made with sourdough, which have become a symbol of her cuisine. Her meals, made with local, seasonal ingredients, not only feed the body, but also nourish the soul of those who visit Contuy, giving them a uniquely memorable experience. Marcela's story is a beautiful example of how passion and commitment can transform individual lives and entire communities.

-Daniela Grossi

 LA CAPILLA AZUL:

Serving a rural community in southern Chile  

Capilla Azul is part of Comarca Contuy, Queilen, Chiloé, Region Los Lagos, Chile