Art, Memory, and Identity at the Waldo Valenzuela Pinacoteca

On August 12, the Waldo Valenzuela Pinacoteca of the Liceo Experimental Artístico (LEA) in Antofagasta joined the Museum without Museum circuit of the SACO Biennial for the first time, with the opening of the exhibition The Space that Remains, a collective project created by Chilean artist Jorge “Coco” González together with high school students from the institution, under the curatorial direction of Ramón Castillo.

The initiative is part of SACO1.2: Dark Ecosystems, financed by Escondida | BHP, with additional support from the National Fund for Cultural Development and the Arts (regional call 2025), the Program for Supporting Collaborating Cultural Organizations (PAOCC) of the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, and the Regional Government.

The project was developed through the workshop Illuminated Objects, where students and teachers transformed personal belongings into artworks loaded with memory and meaning. According to curator Ramón Castillo, the process shifted the traditional image of the individual artist toward a participatory exercise, where creativity and collective significance rediscover the human habit of assigning meaning in order to recognize oneself in the world.

For González, the project explores the symbolic and material power of objects, the images that shape our visual and territorial landscapes, and the sounds that form part of our daily lives. The title, inspired by a verse from artist Sofía Donovan, invites reflection on what remains: affections, shared experiences, and the possibility of new utopias.

The exhibition is also accompanied by a sound piece created by Chilean musician Rodrigo Aros Gho together with music students from the LEA, who contributed percussion and guitar to a composition available on Soundcloud, designed as an auditory complement to the show.

LEA’s director, Luis Cortés, highlighted the importance of the institution’s inclusion in the biennial, noting that it strengthens the school’s commitment to both the community and arts education. Student Pía Zapata, one of the co-creators of the project, emphasized the value of discovering contemporary art through experimentation and spontaneity, moving beyond the idea of perfection as the only artistic path.

With this exhibition, the SACO1.2 openings have come to a close. The Space that Remains will be on view at the Waldo Valenzuela Pinacoteca until September 14, Monday to Friday, from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m.. More information on the other exhibitions in Antofagasta can be found on the biennial’s official website: www.bienalsaco.com.