Musoe Open Air
Mural diptychs: portraits of Indigenous peoples in public space
Musoe Open Air is a series of mural diptychs painted on the facades of three-story residential buildings. The works portray men and women from Mapuche, Aymara, Rapa Nui, and Selk'nam cultures.
The series was completed in La Florida, Santiago, between 2018 and 2021. It comprises four mural diptychs, each panel measuring 8.0 × 6.0 meters, made with acrylic enamel and varnish on brick in Villa Alberto Larraguibel.
The name Musoe combines the artist's teenage graffiti name, Jusoe, with the Spanish word museo. The diptych format responds to the paired architecture of the site and enables complementary readings: man/woman, figure/symbol, presence/territory.
MURAL DIPTYCHS (2018–2021)
Portraiture, historically associated with distinction and honor, is used here as a strategy of recognition. The images give public scale and visibility to Indigenous presence, treating the image itself as territory and memory.
PROCESS AND PARTICIPATION
The visual references were selected by Esteban Garnica together with Neighborhood Association No. 24-A and residents of the buildings in Villa Alberto Larraguibel. The neighborhood community participated in the design, image selection, and execution of the murals.
The references came from historical archives and visual research using sources available online. For the Rapa Nui diptych, the person portrayed directly approved the use of their image through a messaging exchange.
The project did not involve formal participation by Mapuche, Aymara, Rapa Nui, or Selk'nam organizations. The murals were produced with competitive public funding from the Corporación Cultural de La Florida, awarded through an open call.
1. TO THE MAPUCHE PEOPLE (2018)
Location: Av. A. Vespucio 6566, La Florida.
Format: Mural diptych, 8.0 × 6.0 m each panel.
Technique: Acrylic enamel and varnish on brick.
2. TO THE AYMARA PEOPLE (2019)
Location: Av. A. Vespucio 6460, La Florida.
Format: Mural diptych, 8.0 × 6.0 m each panel.
Technique: Acrylic enamel and varnish on brick.
3. TO THE RAPA NUI PEOPLE (2020)
Location: Av. El Parque 6486, La Florida.
Format: Mural diptych, 8.0 × 6.0 m each panel.
Technique: Acrylic enamel and varnish on brick.
4. TO THE SELK'NAM PEOPLE (2021)
Location: Av. El Parque 6467, La Florida.
Format: Mural diptych, 8.0 × 6.0 m each panel.
Technique: Acrylic enamel and varnish on brick.
Additional material: Photio photocatalytic additive, according to manufacturer information.
