Amy Fogliani

Art As Witness: Memory of Crisis in Argentina's Dirty War Amy Fogliani

The works I consider here are cultural manifestations investigating how Argentina's recent history has been represented and remembered, specifically, the time period surrounding the military dictatorship referred to as the Dirty War: 1976-1983. Literature, film, photography and testimony are some of the places in which the Dirty War and its aftermath have been explored. I have chosen four artistic representations of the Dirty War during the 1970's in Argentina and found that these works examine the ways in which one can be a spectator of violence. They highlight the dilemma of choosing to see or not see their surroundings in a time of danger. Each one acts as witness to the event by resisting closure, allowing identification and insisting on the need to dialogue with the past. Moreover, they convey a memory of the Dirty War to future generations.