Artistic encounters
in war and violent conflict

Marisa Cornejo’s Upcoming Book Based on the Archives of Her Father Available for Preorder

Marisa Cornejo's new book “L’Emprinté: Une Archive D’artiste Soustraite Au Terrorisme D’État” (The imprint, an artist's archive withdrawn from state terrorism) published by Art&Fiction is now available for preorder here.

Chile 1973 – Geneva 2023.

Recovered photographs to tell the impact of Pinochet’s coup d’État on a family of artists and teachers forced into exile.

The intimate story of a daughter dedicated to the memory of her father.

In this book, Marisa explores her family's journey of exile away from the murderous Pinochet dictatorship in Chile to a journey through Argentina, Bulgaria, Belgium and Mexico. Assisting her in this task of constructing the narrative was the process of revisiting and digitalising 1,500 slides (photographs) out of 15 boxes of family archives. Photographs and pieces of archeological sites, nature, family members, friendly gatherings and excursions are elements that contribute to the process of 'filling the gaps' of Marisa's memory, who was 9 at the time, in completing what has been so far an unspeakable and traumatic story.

"While legal status is pivotal for refugees to have access to protection and rights, other forms of recognition through cultural and artistic practices unearth new ethical and empirical questions around processes of recognition, the institutional violence, and those that fall in between. The artistic memorial affective practice that build this narration is a symbolic and embodied way of according recognition and dignity to those who failed to find official legal protection."

Congratulations Marisa! More information about Marisa on her artist profile and on her artist spotlight.

See a few excerpts below:

Marisa Cornejo Excerpt from book

Marisa Cornejo L'empreinte