11 September 2023 marked the 50th anniversary of the violent military coup in Chile, which overthrew the democratically elected socialist government of Salvador Allende. As part of Chile 50 Years UK—a year-long programme—a special exhibition was held at Four Corners Gallery.

The collaboration was initiated by Gloria Mequeles, a Chilean exile, who brought an archive of arpilleras and the impetus to reawaken Peter Kennard's touring show, A Document on Chile. The exhibition juxtaposed Kennard’s 1970s photomontages with arpilleras—hand-sewn textile works made by Chilean women during the dictatorship—alongside documentary photography of the mass protests of 2019–2022.

Chile 50: Political Art, Solidarity and Resistance explored how political art sustained solidarity and resistance in the face of incarceration, torture and exile.

By placing these works in dialogue, the exhibition revealed continuities of oppression and resistance in Chile’s history. It demonstrated how Kennard’s visual language of critique and activism continues to speak to today’s movements for democracy and justice, emphasising the sustained power of political art to inform, mobilise, and inspire across generations.

This project was only made possible through the generosity of the Chilean exile community. Committed to memory as a political act, they brought both the spark and the fuel for the week-long exhibition. And though brief in duration, it brought to light new stories, adding nuance and continuity to histories of solidarity and resistance.

Explore stories

A visitor from the exile community writes about the activist who helped her settle in the UK.

A digital exhibition of the Half Moon Photography Workshop show at Four Corners Archive.

Peter Kennard recounts how the Barbican censored his work to placate Chilean finance officials and British bankers.