Diamela Eltit is one of the few women artists that participated in the
small but very successful artistic movement called avanzada. The members
of this movement were writers and visual artists who took a unique stand
against both the official and the un-official art in Chile during the 17
years of Pinochet's dictatorship. In this sense, the work of these
artists suffers a double marginality. It is an art that is marginal from
both the official and the un-official art in Chile, and it does not fit
within their spaces and symbols of representation. However, these
artists were interested in exhibiting their work in public spaces in
order to ensure that their art was seen. They did not want to oppose the
regime from a position of outsiders. They were determined to oppose the
regime from the inside. Their work was, aesthetically, highly
experimental...