For a special two week run, seven specially chosen Chilean and Chilean-British artists will showcase their new and recent work at Somers Gallery in London.
As the contribution of Chilean artists continues to be seen across the contemporary art scene, this intimate exhibition, with its diverse roster of artists, gives audiences a brilliant opportunity to see the work that is being inspired by both Chile and the UK, from home and abroad.
The exhibition is guest curated by art critic and writer Tabish Khan, who chose the artists following an open call to all Chilean visual artists living and working in the UK. The resulting show, ‘The Rest Has All Been Dreams’, will run at Somers Gallery in London from Friday 28th March to Monday 7th April 2025.
The seven finalists have been revealed. They include artists working in a range of disciplines, from photography, installation, painting, chlorophyll printing, digital drawing, sculpture, and video.
The artists are:
Bárbara Oettinger (b.1981) (Digital Photography, digital drawing; Brighton based). Bárbara challenges conventional understandings of borders through her work, exploring geography, belonging, and power dynamics that shape our perception of space and identity.
Carola Ureta Marín (b.1988) (Photography; London based). Carola examines isolation, memory, and nature in her photographic series, using real moss collected in London to create miniature landscapes that echo both the UK and Chile.
Luciana Solar Guzmán (b.1981) (Installation, chlorophyll printing; Oxford based). Luciana creates photographic prints on plant leaves, reflecting on the erasure of Indigenous knowledge and the deep connections between humans and nature.
Otto Schade (b.1971) (Painting; London based) Otto blends architecture and urban contemporary art, using surreal imagery, freehand spray painting, and his signature ribbon style to explore social themes.
Sachiyo Nishimura (b.1978) (Photomontage; London based) Sachiyo reimagines landscapes that could belong everywhere and nowhere, assembling photographic fragments of familiar urban elements found across different cities.
Tere Chad (b.1990) (Video, sculpture; London based) Tere explores personal memory, uprooting, and the natural world through video performance and sculpture, weaving storytelling and magical realism into her practice.
Ume Dahlia (b.1995) (Painting, sculpture, installation; London based) Ume’s work explores the intersection of language, memory, and territory, focusing on themes of trauma, gender, and cultural identity. Through her art, she reflects on the transformation of personal experiences into symbols of resilience.
The artists were asked to respond to the notion of “Distance and Territory”. The work on display will offer a unique view of both Chile and the UK, from those that have a dual understanding of the territories. It will investigate feelings and reactions that arise when living in another country, from isolation to a sense of community, and present a fascinating look at the parallels and differences between the two countries, which can best be communicated and understood through visual art.
Whether through the incredibly diverse geographical landscape of Chile – mountainous regions, glaciers and deserts – or the political notions and constraints that come with physical borders, the exhibition promises to be an exciting and informative look at Chilean and British Chilean senses of identity.
Potentially charting climate crises, sensory experiences between the body and the land, and shifting dynamics of power and development, the exhibition will challenge viewers to examine their own relationship with their surroundings.
This will be presented at Somers Gallery, a space dedicated to showcasing a dynamic programme, including exhibitions of artists from both Latin America and Britain. Established in 2015, the gallery has been bringing a new generation of artists to the attention of the UK’s art scene for nearly a decade thanks to the work of its director Javier Calderón.
The title of the exhibition references one of Chile’s most famous artists, the poet and diplomat Gabriela Mistral (1889-1957). The first Latin-American author to receive a Nobel prize in literature, the title is taken from her 1954 poem collection Lagar (Winepress in English, translated by author Ursula Le Guin) which alludes to the roots of nature and people. The artists will be highlighting this important figure in Chile’s recent history, who bridged the gap between cultural pursuits and international advocacy work, by taking inspiration from her words.
From pre-Columbian ceramics to European-influenced mannerism, Chilean art has a tradition and style all of its own. Recently, the poet and artist Cecilia Vicuña brought a spectacular installation to Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall, and ‘The Rest Has All Been Dreams’ gives an opportunity for visitors to discover the new voices and images that is being produced from Chile.
The open call and exhibition are part of the ongoing work of the Chilean Visual Arts Group (CVAG), with the support of the Chilean Embassy in the United Kingdom and the ProChile office in London. The CVAG convened during the pandemic and consists of Chilean and Chilean-British visual artists professionals who are all based in the UK. The group works towards fostering collaborative working between artists and connecting the Chilean creative sector with its international counterparts. The open call was run independently, and the chosen artists include both members (Tere Chad, Otto Schade, Bárbara Oettinger) and non-participants.
Whether you are fully immersed in Latin American art and culture and want to see how the traditions and inspirations are continuing into the 21st century, or someone interested to learn more about this rapidly developing country, the visual works on display are a must-visit and a must-see.
Tabish Khan, curator, said:
“Human history is a story of migration, relocation, and the blending of cultures and ideas. These artists draw on their experiences of both Chile and the UK, exploring connections and contrasts that inspire their work – whether through plant life, urban architecture, heritage, borders, or power lines. I’ve always loved how art brings people and ideas together, and this exhibition beautifully reflects that spirit of diversity and exchange.”
Alongside the exhibition will be a programme of events including guided tours, with more details to follow shortly.
‘The Rest Has All Been Dreams’, 28th March – 7th April 2025, Somers Gallery
About
ProChile is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs institution that promotes the supply of Chilean goods and services in the world. Thanks to an extensive international network. It also supports the dissemination of investment opportunities in Chile and promotes tourism.
The main role of the Embassy of Chile is to represent the interests of Chile and its nationals before the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, in order to collaborate with the political, economic, scientific-technological, cultural and social development of Chile, through the strengthening of bilateral bonds.
Tabish Khan is a curator, art critic, writer and speaker who believes passionately in making art accessible to everyone. He visits and writes about hundreds of exhibitions a year covering everything from the major blockbusters to the emerging art scene. He writes regularly for Londonist and FAD, and has written for New York Observer, Elephant, Artsy and more. He is a trustee of City & Guilds London Art School, Discerning Eye and ArtCan, and a critical friend of UP projects. He is a co-host of the podcast The Good, The Bad and The Arty.
About CVAG
In 2022, ProChile and the Embassy of Chile in the United Kingdom convened various representatives of contemporary visual arts from Chile who currently reside in the UK. The call was made with the intention of forming a working committee to analyse the challenges of their work’s development in the region. After the first meeting took place, meetings have continued to be held to this day at the ProChile offices. The group has the collaboration of 18 professionals in the visual arts, who are involved in painting, sculpture, performance, photography, and new media, as well as researchers and art managers. The contribution of this initiative is unique in the field of promoting the professional internationalisation of the Chilean creative industries, as it is dedicated exclusively to the work of contemporary and visual art in the significant city of London, and it stems from direct communication and collaborative efforts between artists, the embassy, and ProChile.
