Cultural Conversations: New Season of «Diálogos de lo (Im)posible» Tackles Today’s Cultural Dilemmas

Original article: Arte en disputa: Nueva temporada de «Diálogos de lo (Im)posible» explora los dilemas culturales del presente In a landscape where public debate is increasingly polarized and the value of culture is once again under scrutiny, it is essential to maintain spaces for dialogue and critical thought in the media. With this premise, Diálogos de lo (Im)posible returns, a cultural conversation program produced by the Artistic Creation Directorate of the University of Chile, that will premiere its fourth season on April 10 at 2:00 PM on Radio Universidad de Chile (102. 5 FM and online) and UChile TV (11.

2 RM). Moving forward, ten episodes will be broadcast weekly every Friday, featuring discussions between artists and cultural agents that delve into the transformations currently shaping the arts and their connection to social and political life. This season brings together established figures such as visual artist Nury González and muralist Alejandro “Mono” González, National Prize for Plastic Arts 2025, alongside emerging voices like drag queen Nía de Indias, documentary filmmaker Carolina Moscoso, and managers of independent spaces such as Galería Animita and Galería Solar, engaging in debates that range from Latin American pop culture to the role of art in contemporary activist struggles.

«This season addresses topics present in today’s cultural discussions and seeks to illustrate how art is deeply intertwined with the conflicts and transformations of our time. Diálogos de lo (Im)posible creates a space to pause and reflect on artistic creation from various perspectives and experiences, enhancing cultural reflection in the public sphere and contributing to the circulation of ideas about its future,” stated Fernando Gaspar, director of Artistic Creation at the University of Chile. The cycle begins on April 10 with From Masterpieces to Mainstream, in which curator and researcher Marinieves Nieto, a member of the Pop Art Theory platform, will engage in a conversation with historian Matías Hermosilla, author of The Character of a Nation: From Corazones to Marcianeke, discussing how Latin American pop culture has blurred boundaries, incorporating phenomena such as memes, remixes, and digital aesthetics into today’s artistic imagination.

On April 17, Emerging Cartographies will investigate the rise of new galleries and self-managed spaces that are redefining the cultural scene in Santiago, featuring a discussion between Pablo Valenzuela, director of Galería Solar, and Sergio Santana, artist and co-founder of Galería Animita. On April 24, the episode Artistic Education: Creative Training for New Generations will center on the debate regarding the role of the arts in civic education and the challenges faced in this field in Chile, featuring Pablo Rojas, head of the Department of Education and Training in Arts and Culture at the Ministry of Cultures, Arts, and Heritage, and Paula Campos, Deputy Director of Planning and Programming at Balmaceda Arte Joven. The episode on May 1, Accessibility as Language, will spark discussion on functional diversity and artistic innovation through a dialogue between Valentina Orellana, the first deaf actress graduated from the University of Chile’s Theater Department, and Maricel Gómez de la Errechea, a pioneer project manager in Chile linked to tactile galleries and inclusive sculptural experiences.

Art and activism will be the focus of the episode on May 8, titled Protest and Artivism: Art in the Line of Fire, where artist, University of Chile academic, and activist for Palestine, Ana Harcha will converse with dancer and performer César Cisternas from the Guerrilla Marika collective about the role of artistic practices in contemporary struggles. On May 15, Domestic Work and Art: Creativity from the Everyday will address the aesthetic dimension of caregiving and daily life in a conversation between visual artist Virginia Ramírez, researcher of domesticity, and documentary filmmaker Carolina Moscoso, director of the series Las dueñas: Portraits of Work at Home, whose works have been awarded at national and international festivals. One of the highlights of the season will occur on May 22 with the episode The City as Canvas: Images and Cultural Democracy, which will bring together muralist Alejandro “Mono” González, National Prize for Plastic Arts 2025 and co-founder of the Ramona Parra Brigade, along with muralist Estefanía Leigthon, known as “Stefi,” whose work has been featured in muralism festivals across Latin America and Europe.

Following this, on May 29, Rewarding the Arts: Dispute Between Legitimacy and Exclusion will convene visual artist and comic artist Marcela “Maliki” Trujillo, along with artist and University of Chile academic Nury González, to debate the impact of recognition systems on the circulation and evaluation of contemporary art. The cycle will continue on June 5 with Aesthetics of Displacement: Diaspora and Artistic Languages, dedicated to migration experiences and their cultural expressions, featuring a dialogue between drag visual artist and performer Nía de Indias and artist aruma, whose transdisciplinary practice articulates contemporary art and ancestral knowledge. The season will close with the episode on June 12, The Chilean Opera: New Repertoires for a Reinventing Genre.

In light of the recent international controversy surrounding Timothée Chalamet regarding the relevance of opera, this episode will feature composer Sokio and director of Lírica Disidente, Nicolás Vásquez, discussing new forms of creation, circulation, and stage experimentation, as well as the challenges of connecting this language with diverse audiences. As in previous seasons, the episodes will be broadcast weekly on Radio Universidad de Chile and UChile TV, later becoming available on digital platforms through the DiCREA YouTube Channel – University of Chile.