On November 25th, Universidad de Santiago de Chile conferred the Cultural Merit Award upon the visual artist Alfredo Jaar Hasbún. Jaar was the recipient of the 2013 National Award of Visual Arts and is internationally renowned for his installations that show a marked political and social sensitivity and combine elements from photography, architecture and theater.

The University Medal in the first category was awarded to Jaar for his great contribution to the arts and culture, his fruitful efforts to denounce injustice and discrimination, his artistic work for more than 30 years raising the observer’s awareness, and also for his great social sensitivity and resistance action though the arts. The award ceremony was held in a crowded Salón de Honor hall.

Pedro Palominos, the Vice- President of Universidad de Santiago, who headed the ceremony on behalf of President Juan Manuel Zolezzi, congratulated the artist and said that “the University is proud to honor those who stand out in the world for their great contribution to knowledge, the arts and humanity.”

“The task he (Alfredo Jaar) has imposed on himself is notable, not only regarding his artistic work but also his ethical commitment. We admire this and this is the reason why we conferred this Cultural Merit Award on him,” Vice- President Palominos said.

Addressing the artist, Vice President Palominos stated that, as an institution, “We recognize you as a necessary model when we talk about arts and giving visibility to human injustices.”

“Your deep commitment to fighting against any kind of discrimination; your continuous and systematic construction of new languages and universal subjects through visual arts are an inspiration for our students. We can say that your action as an artist concern us not only because of the fact that you use the architects’ methods, but because you embody the institutional values that represent us,” he concluded.

After being awarded the University Medal, Alfredo Jaar gave a master lecture called “Es difícil” (“It is difficult”), a touching trip through some of his most famous works, like “Un logo para América” (1987) or “Lights in the City” (1999).

His lecture captivated the audience and it concluded with his words of gratitude for the award and his invitation to students “to create your own ways of expression.”

The Cultural Merit Award of Universidad de Santiago was conferred on Alfredo Jaar at the joint request of Dr. Aldo Hidalgo, Director of the School of Architecture; Dr. Marcela Orellana, Director of the Bachelor’s Program, and Dr. José Santos, alternate Director of the Institute for Advanced Studies (IDEA, in Spanish) of our University. 

Artistic and civic education

The Outreach and Engagement unit of IDEA invited Alfredo Jaar to give his lecture at Universidad de Santiago in the context of the course “Competencias para la educación artística y ciudadana” organized by this unit and Corporación Cultural Balmaceda Arte Joven.

During the activity, Jaar thanked the University for the Award and highlighted the role of Carmen Gloria Bravo, who is in charge of the Outreach and Engagement unit of IDEA, saying that the course “reflects exactly what I personally try to do as an artist.”

The course “Competencias para la educación artística y ciudadana” of IDEA and Corporación Cultural Balmaceda Arte Joven, has been given for two consecutive years now, developing competences in 50 students from all over Santiago, at no cost for them.

Translated by Marcela Contreras