Ignacio Gatica cements the translation of theory into practice in sculptures recreating the covers of books by the economists Friedrich A. Hayek and Milton Friedman. The covers of the selected books make reference to the development of the neoliberal model that had an enormous influence on the politics and the economy of postdictatorship Chile, an effect that was felt in most Latin American countries at the time, as well.
The covers, recreated as massive cement blocks, contrast starkly with smaller adobe pieces placed on the floor, each of which bears the letter ñ inscribed on one side. The use of adobe and the inscription refer to a vernacular technique present in Chilean architecture but also to an element that distinguishes the broader region through the Spanish language: the letter ñ. The opposition between the concrete and the adobe elements defines a friction between what is local, proprietary, and representative...
