Chile singular. Apuntes de viaje

P R O L O G U E In each stroke a journey , an intimate exploration of the landscapes that make up the vast geography of Chile is hidden; this book is a visual and emotional testimony of the places that have captured the heart and gaze of an architect who is also an artist. This duality has allowed him to leave an indelible mark as a teacher of so many architects at the University of Chile, whom he taught to observe and design by drawing. From the arid plains of the saltpeter pampas to the frozen confines that border Antarctica, with every sketch Jorge Iglesis reveals more than an observation of forms and color: he reveals stories. Stories of effort and exploitation “of the mineral and of men” in places like Humberstone and Santa Laura, where the marks of heavy work bear witness to an industrial past that still echoes in the silence of abandoned buildings. Stories of rest and refuge in Chiloé, where the warmth of the meeting places is intertwined with the history of a town that expresses, in its peculiar architecture and urban composition, the uniqueness of its territory. The architect who paints these scenes not only documents reality , but also interprets it with a sensitive and sharp eye. He sees beyond the surface, discovering in each shady spot in the Atacama desert, in each elevator in Valparaíso or in each moai in Rapa Nui, not only artifacts, but also testimonies of the human capacity to create, adapt and build —wherever they may be— a world to inhabit. This set of watercolors tells us about the multitude of elements that can become part of the human landscape. Structures and volumes that blend with the vastness of the sky , the sand and the ocean that surrounds everything. It is a look that reveals the immense silence of landscapes that seem to exist outside of time, reminding us of our smallness in front of a nature so vast and extensive that it seems eternal. This book is, in every sense, a journey notebook: an emotional journey through our land. It invites its readers to stop, to observe and contemplate the beauty hidden in every corner of this diverse country enriched by its history and its people. It is a reminder that beauty is everywhere, waiting to be discovered by those willing to look, with their eyes, with their hands (and with their stomachs!). These travel notes remind us that, in every corner of Chile, there is a story that deserves to be told with the humility and respect of those who observe and understand. May these watercolors invite you, like their author, to marvel at our landscapes, to reflect on the fragility and strength of human life and to celebrate the capacity of art to allow us to look in a different way and with a different time. Alejandra Mizala S. Provost María del Pilar Barba B. Vice President of Public Engagement and Communication 6