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Clemente Padin [Uruguay] On 25th August 1977 the Uruguayan artist Clemente Padin was arrested by the then military dictatorship and imprisoned for protesting against the dictatorial governments of the infamous Latin American Condor Plan. Clemente was 'missing' for 3 months [held at a centre of torture] and eventually sentenced to 4 years imprisonment. As a result of pressure stimulated by protest involving international artists networks Padin was eventually released after 2 years. However, Padin had to live until 1985 under constant surveillance and could not make art, leave the country or receive mail. My artistic production has been formulated from a position like many artists in my country out of the experience of having artistic freedom denounced. This experience has meant that initially I worked in many ephemeral or non specific ways to enable free distribution of artistic actions. The evidence of the art is realised in certain moments as in performance art activity. Padin also makes use of distribution networks. In the seventies and eighties he used world wide postal networks to connect with artists. Now in the present he also uses the internet. As a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Uruguay in Montevideo he is concerned with many facets of intercommunication and the distribution of concepts and ideas. His work is formulated by interactions in many sites; the gallery, the street, virtual space. He also produces many graphic works and texts as documents that can also be freely distributed. I use any means necessary to produce art that creates dialogue and discussion about freedom and integrity. |
