Mapocho River as a Canvas for Light, Beginning January 19th

Santiago‘s Mapocho river has undergone some interesting changes in recent years. It flows down from Cajón de Maipo, and used to pick up stinking piles of trash along the way, giving it its characteristic odor that caused me to name it the “Mastinko” when I first moved to Santiago.

But in recent years it’s been cleaned up, and while it still flows brownish, due to the heavy sediment content, it no longer smells like anything at all. Santiaguinos mainly regard it as the crossing point from North to South within the city, but soon they’ll be looking at it in a whole new light as light paintings and drawings are projected on it for four hours every night starting in January.

Throughout 2011, the river and its retaining walls will be used as a museum for a project called “Artedeluz” (light-art), starting January 19th, becoming an open-air art museum. Chilean artist Catalina Rojas’ piece will be exhibited for the launch, 104  paintings projected by 26 projectors, depicting the Chilean landscape. President Sebastian Piñera will present the work as the end of the Chilean bicentennial celebrations.

The river will be lit up from Pio Nono (at Plaza Italia/Baquedano) down to Patronato, near Bellas Artes metro from 9 PM to 1 AM, and in the winter from 8:30 PM to 11:30 PM for most of 2011. Access is free.

Photo: La Tercera