The last time we wrote this editorial, our only concern was the social crisis that razed Chile and was in the horizon for several other countries worldwide. Today, our concerns are much more diverse. In addition to the economic and political crisis, there’s now a labor crisis, a physical and mental health crisis, along with the rough reality faced by most of the world. Our lives have been put on hold for over a year as a result of a pandemic that doesn’t let up and has led us to place our hopes on science, as we wait for vaccines to perform the “miracle” of giving us our lives back.
Everything we knew and that we used to take for granted came to a halt. Visiting art fairs, exhibitions, plays and our entire sociocultural lives came to a standstill as if this were the worst science fiction film of all time. However, this confinement has driven people to pick up books and magazines, to watch films and documentaries, and enjoy the simple things. This was been the positive side of the pandemic, along with family quality time, providing enough time for having diverse and stimulating conversations. We’re sitting at the edge of our seats waiting to see art creation in all its shapes, with the new trends that have been unleashed by this new reality. Questions arise, such as: What is currently inspiring artists? How much has the pandemic and all the related fears affected their inspiration? Has lack of social interaction and community-building influenced art creation? Is digital art trade here to stay?
We, at Arte Al Límite, are still standing, alive, showing that art and innovation has emerged thanks to the famous, and now traumatic, Zoom. As an art-related media outlet, as an art magazine, as collectors, we can’t give up because art has to continue existing. And we must keep showcasing and display art, the same way we have been doing for over 20 years. The world cannot collapse, and believe if we keep on, we hold the world up as part of written and documented history.
Nevertheless, these pages will experience some changes, much like the world has. We used to have just visual artist profiles and interviews, but now we have broadened the contents. We have welcomed other art manifestation to be featured in our pages: literature, dance, theater and film. It’s as if the digital newspaper we did in 2020 took over the magazine, now in print.