ii;inis1 crittcsand biographeB haveseenthen as €xcepiional L0hen'a5, d€sa'ir(do plolicarslle as d slrlciones sDc,lesde clrss v individuah or fenate bohenians, publicly flaunting class a.d gender distinctionsr in confast, womcn in Seneral, and worlting'cla$ women in parlicuLar, are presented as unrnlen iiolal agents of a coileciive social proiect, acling out assigned icripts. As a class,women share the ProbLenaiic status of polit icaUy o. cuiturdLly colorized populations Both are seen as pas_ sxel! tfans{ormed by lo!.ed noCernizalion lather than as approprialing nodemjty on deir own and, through this aPpro pfiarion, as being able to change the world thei 1s lrans de Erss seoales, [tr cambio, se presc an a las nuietes en geisrar' v ras de clase rdbajadora .n !a iculat!como agenlet carentes e inv0lunlarios de un Doyeclo s!cial colectivo, en que realizan papeles asignados Las mujsiescomo rrupo categona .ompaJlan la condici6n problcn'iic' de todapobl.ci6nes polllica o culluralneile colonizada La doididi6n de coloiirado implic! que uno es objelo do unanodotnizaci6n l0rzada v no ur sujsto capaz de apropiar ra n0demidad ior si mishdv 'ri t'nstdrmar e! mutrdo que o trarslorna. 0asde esia po6pectiva es dllicil recotocer la relevaicit cullural de l. presenla lucha individua y colecliva de la5 nsjeres pd l.aitoinai d eitono urbano, conotamblen es dlliciL .esvaluar la iniluencia d!radera q0e hai ter do l0seiclaves tradicion.les de n0leres qua se oirernar0tr en la ciudad pre-m0dsma. Muchos de estos erclavcs conlintan desempenai' do s!s iradlclonales r0les luncionales y s0ciales, c0mo es er caso oe ros lavadercs prlblicos de todas las Crandes ciudades de la Indiav l0s Frofr rhis pespectiv. il is diflicult to see the cuent individual anC collc.tive sfuggle ol women to tfans]olm urban env'ron nril. a: anythirg of cultrral signilicance, of io re evaluate the erdrrirg jnil|ence oI iraditional femalee.clales orignrated in thJ !renodeii cily \l3a-t ol lhese erclares continle to serve
9
Embed
Claiming the Public Space: The Mothers of Plaza de Mayo / La produccion del espacio público: Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
ii;inis1 crittcs and biographeB have seen then as €xcepiional L0hen'a5, d€sa' i r (do plol icarsl le as d s l r lc iones sDc, les de clrss v
individuah or fenate bohenians, publicly flaunting class a.d
gender distinctionsr in confast, womcn in Seneral, and
worlting'cla$ women in parlicuLar, are presented as unrnlen
iiolal agents of a coileciive social proiect, acling out assigned
icripts. As a class, women share the ProbLenaiic status of polit
icaUy o. cuiturdLly colorized populations Both are seen as pas_
sxel! tfans{ormed by lo!.ed noCernizalion lather than as
approprialing nodemjty on deir own and, through this aPpro
pfiarion, as being able to change the world thei 1s lrans
de Erss seoales, [tr cambio, se presc an a las nuietes en geisrar' v ras
de clase rdbajadora .n !a iculat! como agenlet carentes e inv0lunlarios
de un Doyeclo s!cial colectivo, en que realizan papeles asignados Las
mujsies como rrupo categona .ompaJlan la condici6n problcn'iic' de
toda pobl .c i6nes pol l l ica o cul luralnei le colonizada La doididi6n de
coloi i rado impl ic! que uno es objelo do una nodotnizaci6n l0rzada v no
ur sujsto capaz de apropiar ra n0demidad ior si mishd v 'ri t'nstdrmar
e! mutrdo que o trarslorna.
0asde esia po6pect iva es dl l ic i l recotocer la relevaic i t cul lural de l .
presenla lucha indiv idua y colecl iva de la5 nsjeres pd l .a i to inai d
ei tono urbano, cono tamblen es dl l ic iL .esvaluar la in i luencia d!radera
q0e hai ter do l0s eic laves tradic ion. les de n0leres qua se oirernar0tr en
la c iudad pre-m0dsma. Muchos de estos erclavcs conl intan desempenai '
do s!s i radlc lonales r0les luncionales y s0ciales, c0mo es er caso oe ros
lavadercs pr lb l icos de todas las Crandes ciudades de la India v l0s
Frofr rhis pespectiv. il is diflicult to see the cuent individual
anC collc.tive sfuggle ol women to tfans]olm urban env'ron
nril. a: anythirg of cultrral signilicance, of io re evaluate the
erdrrirg jnil|ence oI iraditional female e.clales orignrated in
thJ !renodeii cily \l3a-t ol lhese erclares continle to serve
thei! tadilional f!trctional and social roles, like ihe publ{c
washingbasins in najor lndian cities or th. markels i. Akicu
viltages, wnile otlels have Persisted as svhbolic urban narl(
ings, iike fte forest ol decorated steel poLes that once leld
ctotnesLines in GLasgo{s nost celtral park SoNe ol thesc
enclaves have even become a cilys nosr inp.rlan! open space
like River Walk in Se! Artonlo, Texas, wnec women once
congregated to vash laundrt and socialize
-{ literature is now €metging locused on the particiP.rion bv
narginalized poPulations in the t.ansJormation oi P.stn.derncities and establishing the c:iticat connection bet*een power
and spatialiiy, particulariy withia the disciplines ot ait and
aichitecturai nistory and ar.lilectural and urbla design (t To
una nueva lit.rrtuE se eib strrgisndo que rnloca e0 la pa{itipaci6n de
Las.poblaciones na4inadas en la nanslormaci6[ de las .iudades [0sl_
nodu0as y que tslablece las conexiones crhicas entre el poder v la
6spacialldad, orpeairln.ik si la hisroria del.de v l' atquitectura v sl
dheio sbatro y arq0ihcldnjco. o) A estas contribuciones, que han rcve-
lado si i i6 udaros previ ,mente descor0cido. kf to cdm0 las c0nsscdei_
cias socia es de las ideol0gias Epresivas en la plaRi'!ca0idi u$ana,
62
urban sit€s as well as the social consequences oI repressive
urlan pianning ideologies, shouLd be added fedinist anaLvses ol
wonrn r t rad r ional u 'ban enc dva. d rd o ' von F-1 dp!ro!r id
rions ol public sites that synbolized thei! exclusion or restrici
ed status. These appropli.tion5, whether in the lorn o{ one of
the largesl eyer na$ denonstrations held on rhe Washington
MaLL {in lavor olaborlion rights) or it 1!e display olintjnacy jn
very pubiic settings Gu.h as the Frlvate ollerings and nenentos
that conplete Maya Lin\ Vietnan Menorial and compose rhe
nonunental Names Quil! comnenorating AIDS victims) con
tinue to establi5h wornen s rights not nerely b nrhabit but also
lo lranslorn the plblic ieatn ol the ciiy tt is in such sitlarions
rhat women hdre be€n most eliective in const.ucnng them
selves as transiorf,ative subjects, aitering soci"ty s perception
ol public space ard inscribing their own stories into the urlran
debertrn agregrise 1os anilisis lef,inklas de los .rcla!es t'adici0iales
de mujecs y de las aprcpiadiores que hri hecfo nBi0res !e rugares
pibLicos q{e simbrlizrban s!.rtlusi6tr o estalus Estringido Fslas
apropiaciodes, y, sta en la loma de uia de las frrs gundes c0ncenta'
c lones de nasas etr washington (a lav( del dnecho alabor ld l . e i ras
demostrrci!nes de sertinkitos tntimos si l!gares pfblic0s (con0 l0s
olrecinisrtos y obietos .0inemomtivos qu. .onpleian el moi!frenio a
los caidos en vieiiam de Nlaya tin v que lrmbi6n conP0nan e! mtnumen'
taL '0uilt de los omb..s qua condedora a las victimas del SIDA),
conlinrlai esiableci!ndo 1.s dsrschos da La n!1.r no !d!ams0G 0e
Iabitar! siio tanbiei de translornar.l espa.ro 0iblico de l: 'indad
Es
en este iipo de sit!mirjn d0ide las oujsrss lrai sido m,s et'Ltv's c0m0
sujel0s translormad0.es, allerando h Petep.i6i de la sociedad s0rtB el
sspa. io pibl ico nientns ins6iben sus propks his lo. ias sn elpal inpse$
63
-\s in ai1 instances where the lopic ol discussio! is as complex
$ tje iransformative presence ol wohen in the c'!y-and pa.
lr.ularl"v lvhen lhis topic does not yetoperate within an estab-
i\ted theo.etical lranework the main diftjculty is lo establish
a poinr oI enty. h the presen! essay I propose enknng ihs
re.ritory throu8h the exaf,ination of one draaatic cae of a
successlul, endlring appropdalion:lhe Molhers oithe PLaza de
\layo inArgentina. (i) This snall b ut pelsislent band oI sonen
protesres lirst captur€d international attenlion in thc mid_
1970s with their sustained presence in the naiionh Principal"space ol prblic appearance, as Hanna Arendt caled the syn'
boLtc lealm of social rcpresentarion, L\at is controLled bv the
dominant political or econonic slructures oi society. This case
iLluskal6 the plocess that leads f.oh the embodiment oitradi
tionai roles and assigned sdiPts as wives and mothers to tbe
eme!8ence of th€ active, transfo.native subject, in spite o1-or
perhaps because ol the lhreat or actlaiily oI physicalviolenc€
thar acts of protert attraci in auiocratic societies. As we will
s.., thi3 case is also enblenatic ol archit€cturel complicity
with power in deating a synboiic systen oI represenration,
usually oI power hierarchies. The hegemony of this system has
b.en thteaiened ever since ihe invention oi the Pdnting P..$and is nowclained by electronic media and its viltuai space of
comnunication. rinalLy, the Mothers oI ?laza de Mayos
appropriation ol the public squafe as a stage fo! th€ enachent
of their plea is a nanilestation oI purli. sP4.e as social pro-
duction. Then redefin'tjon ol that space suggests that the pub
tic realn neither rdides in nor can be represented bybuildings
and spaces but rather is sunmoned into elistence by social
TRE MOTHERS OF THE P]-AZA DE MAYO
In Mech 1976, aflef a chaotic period that lollowed JuanPer6n's death, a nilnaly iunta wested power llon Per6ns
wido{, Isabel, in ordd (as the jrnta claimed) to rcatore o.der
and peace to the countly. The IiEt neasures towar& achievinB
rhis eoal *ere similar to those ot General Pinochet in Chile
th.ee yeas eadier, and i,acluded th€ suspension of all civil
rights, the dissolution olall Political parties, and the placenent
ol labor dions and univesities under Covernment .ontlol lr
would take seven long, dark years lor a democratically electedgovernnent to be lesrored to Argentina, which at l4t Pernitted ar evaluanon of the extent oI open kidnappings, torture,
and execulions of civilihs tole.atedby L\e military. Because ol
the clandesline, unrecorded acriviiies oi th€ Parahilitarygroups chalged wiih these deeds, and becaure manyburialsites
srill lemain undisciosed, agreenents as to the €xacl nudber oI
"disappeared' nay never be achieved, but estinates range fron
nine thodand to thirty thousand. Inquiries to the police about
the tate oI detainees went unanswered Luis PueDzot 198s
$,16, rhe Olticial Slory, ofiers glimpses into the toiture and
como siemprr ocure clando ol tema es t.r compl.io com. e! .l de la
pGs.icia thisformrdor. dt l. mujc..t lr ciud,d+specialnonr. c(ai-
do el td0ico iodavir m rsti ubicrdo d.tr!rc d! un rarco le6tico.3t.blt'
cidrlo m& dilicil rs enco rar !n trilo d. . 8d.. En etta Bn*yo
DroDo.go . rar a sste I! iorio .x.Eirando el c.so drar,lic. d. n.
,propiaci,i lorrrd. coi 6xito t q$ 5! fia nafletrido lkme du.rtrl.Itrgot
aior: L.s nrdFs d. la Plaza da rrayr.n a18enlint 'r'
E!tt p!q!eia !.rc
pstsist.nt. b.nda d. muleres m,trilesr2des c,pturn por priner. vrz la
.leici6i intdh.eion.l a nedi.doi d. lG .no3 !.|.n|a con !u t..ltrcracoistantt 6r l. plar. prircipal d. l. i.citn, qua !3, como dnli H n.
Alendl, el canFo 3idbtlico de 1. rcpr.5€0taci6R soci.l c0 t0lad0 por la3
*tuclurrs p.lnicas y .cotr6micas d. lt 3oci.dad, tsl. c,5o ilusrd .t
proc!so q!e lleva a la inDorpDrt6i6n d. tol.s v guion* lrtdicion.les
$istrados.las mljerri dsnrd de {n nu.vo cond.plo d. wslj.torclivo,
rnFlom.dor. to nrs mtable r! qu. .sta r.d.lini.i6n dt itlet te ir
d.do iir.t. .l rsgo y la halid.d i. Ia violoncia ,lslca qu. .lr.tn los
acl6 dE grocsta en las 3oci.dades aultcrriticas, como v.t.nos, *1.
c.so. ! .mbrem!t i . r dr la com0l ic ida4 d. l . a lqui t tDtur. coi t l !od.r .n
l. creaci6r d! !i ltt.ma iinb6lico dc re9r*enbcidi, geneElFan|, ie
ierarqli.s dt poder. la h.e.noila de 8ta siskna ia eid! .nenazada
d*dE l! lnveici6i da l. inprent y.ior. por l$ nedios tl.clrtIicot !.
comunicrci6n t s! ..!.cit vnlurl- Fii.lmedt , t. ,propi.ci6r qlo l.s
Mrdres han necio d. la Plrz. de Mayo .. una m.iii.iltci6n de la pro_
ducci6i sociat de ur nu.vo eilr.io rrrlico su r.d.rlqiciol da l. pllza
3trgi6re qu. la .el€rt p|]hlica io rcsid. ri po.d. s.r t.9r*e.tada Pqt.dltlclos y .rpaclDs, sino que ts ctisl.uida por i.s tcDioi.!:..it1.5
rAs MA0its 0F rA PLAzr r t MAY0
tr h.Ed dr 1976, d.sEu65 dol gertodo ca6lico qu. sigui6.la mueft. d.
lu.n Per6i, ui. junla nllllat l. arab.t6 elp0dei a itrvtudr, cor tr o!1._
to (segrjr dijo 'a
iunta) d. ptter Drd.i yt.aer It prz de nn.v..llat5.susprine.as m.didas lu.roi slmil.rei a Irs dei Gen.bl PiNchdt en cnil.
ne! anos .nlos, Incl!v.rdd la su.psnii6[ de todo5 los derecho. civiles!
ra di3olucl6n do todo! lor 9. ldos poltlicos t .l sodelini.nto r. lod0s
lD3 siidi.atot y l.s univesidadar.l coilrol d.llobi.mo. Pa3.rier si.ld
aio! Irrgos y oscurosail.s da que lqsitina volviot. a lener un gobre160
rlrcro, lo que por lo n.ios permiti6 un. rrallacadn d. l. gBn canlidad
dr lecua tu5 abiertos, toduras y .jccucioD.s de cavales qu. lu.ron
iisirdos 0or lor mililarrs y 6!yo! ote.alivos ..tuaton clandesllna e
indocrmeitadrm;nl?. Dtda esta.i.nd.slitridad v!lh.cho d. qr..in 5e
d.scoiocEi huchos de lo! lugar.s ds eilltfo3, quizr3 [unt.3.1l.guo a
sabar sl iim.rc etacto d3 los 'desaparrcldos, p.lo l0! osxmaoos
o3cjlan enlre nuev. Y kcinta hil. Las indrgzcion.r dirigidss 3 la politla
.cBi.a dsl prhdero ds los detenidos qu.da.ot 3ii r.spu.5lt, Elliln de
Luis Pu.nzo de l935, La hklo.ir otici.l,'da un. idsa de la lo^urq y la
degradaci6n que s!lrieroi miles ds honbG!, nujercs y h.sla bebos,
racidos baio a(etio, que dtr algntros caeos lustun .dottrdos Por ras
iaditiar de los to:rluradores.
las'de!aparici0ncs' crcarcn electivanent6 un f,iedo conplicila: much0s
s.crestms ss llsv.rcn a c.b0 rI rleM l!z del dia y 3in quc las victimas
64
degradaiion endured by ihousa'& of nen, wonen, and even
babies, bom in detention, sone ol whom eere adopled by the
''Disappearuces ' we.e very effective in cteating conPlicitou
lealr nany kidnappings were corducted inbroad dayljght, and
the victims had not nece$arily demonstrated oPen deliance ot
the nilirary.In fact,latef stalisrics show rnd ahos!hall oI the
kidnalpilgs inrolved witnesses, including clildrcn, relatives,
and iriends oi those suspected ol subversion. Cilen lhe elfec_
riveness of arbitrary tenor in inposing silenc., h astonishirg
thar the lublic dema!.ls oI le$ thd a score of bereaved
women who wanled to know what had happened ro lneir chil
dren contributed so nuch to the nilirary's lali lron power
Their sjlent prot€st, opposed ro 1he siletce oI the artho.itics,
evertuaLly had international resonance, p.onPting a harsh
denunciation ol the Argentinean nilitary, which led, finally, to
ihe denise ol state tedorisn ard the election oI a denooallc
The.ctions ofthe "Mothels,'as they cane to be knom, eien-
llilied akind of spatial and urban approprjation ft.r onginates
in private acls that acqulre public siSnificance, thus question_
ing rhe boundari€s of ihese two connonLy opposed concePts.
cenderisu6, too, were not unimport.trr. Th€ Motheis'approprjation ol th. plaza was nothidg like ! heloic final E$aulr on
a ciradel. lnstead, i! succeeded because oI ils etrdulance ovet a
protracted period, which cotld oniy hdpPen bec5use the Moth'
e6 were conspicuoudy ignored try rhe police, the public, 5nd
the national press. As older wonen they weie no longer sexualLy
dsjrable, and as working'class eoden they vere ofan ilferior
ilk. Nevertheless, rheir mothshood status denand€d coNen-
tionaL respect. Communicanng neither attractiotr nor rhreat,
they w€re characterized by the govelnnent d nadwonen '
The resolt of their public tenacity, which started with the body
exposed io violence, erenrually evolved inio a powelIul a.chi_
tscture ol polirical resistance.
Plaza d. Mayo is Argenti.as synbolic eqdvabnr oi iheWash
ington Mall. lt is, ho{ever, a much snalLer and tery diffe.enl
kind oI space: an !.ban square that etolved lrom lhe Spadsh
Plaza de Amas, a space that hd stood ior nationai unity since
Creoles gathered there to demand independence lron Spain in
tlay ol 1810. The national and interrational visibilily oi Plaza
de ivlayo as tte space ol pubLic appearance loi Aryentineans n
unchailenged. originally, as nandated by the tlaqning ordi-
nances oI the Law olthe lndies, its sides were occuFied by the
colonial Cabildo, or ciiy council, and the Caiholic Cath€dfal
Today th€ most disiinctive structure is the !ink, f,eoclassical
Casa Rosada, the seat ofSovernnent.
Military erercises, executions, and Public narket conningled
in rhe plaza nntil 1884, when Torcualo dc ALvea!, lhe
h.y.n ie6!s.iamente desaliado abi.n.ment. a los nilil.r.! En ei.clo,
l.s .rtadirlicas nrs recientes mu.slr.n qu. tn cdi l. nllad d. los
3eculstr6 bubot.sriEos, incluyendo niio3, Pa .il.sy antgos d..qusl'
lor sospechosN d. subversi6n. Dada la tieclivid.d del l.tror .ibilt..io
pah inpon.r.l3jlsrcioi es.ronb,olo q!. !. puizdo d. mritt.t d...s'
r66d.s 0or rrb.r !l prrad.ro d. 3u3 iijo! hryr co .ibuido lrnlo . It
caida dcl roder mililar. su prolesta sil.nciota,.i oposici6n tl ril.rcio