CASA AZUL: THE LIVING ROOM, THE BACKYARD, THE STAIRS, THE BEDROOM | Dagmara Wyskiel Casa Azul is a DIY cultural project in Antofagasta under the direction of the photographer Sebastián Rojas and the actor Claudio Alarcón. In operation since April of 2019, it was founded along with the street artist Mauricio Contreras, in response to the overall lack of spaces in Antofagasta dedicated to the study, contemplation and exhibition of visual arts. In order to fund this collective domestic art space, the team employed a strategy that combined gastronomy, exhibition of works, concerts, audiovisual screenings, and “cultural hot dog fundraisers” among other events, aiming towards a style of work that is collaborative, horizontal, free from competition or any form of dependence, be it private or institutional. The popular uprising was a major influence, Casa Azul opening its doors in response to the crisis. A series of dialogs, assemblies and roundtables were held, as well as workshops with themes ranging from psychology to first aid. In the months of lockdown that followed, barter and the emergence of micro-economies proved to be fundamental. Today, Casa Azul is more active than ever, having become one of the four exhibition spaces open to the public during the festival, offering theatrical mediation, created by Natalia Leal and Claudio Alarcón. Windows is the first curatorship of Sebastián Rojas, who uses photography to reflect upon the inner and the outer, exhibiting in the living room, patio, stairway and bedroom the works of five Latin American artists: Graciela González from Bolivia, Fernando Montiel Kint from México, Gastón Bailo from Argentina, and Cristina Dorador and Sebastián Rojas from Chile.
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