FOREWORD

I first met Daniel Mena in the summer of 2004, in New York City, at the opening of what was for him an exciting exhibit, in which he was the only Chilean selected among contemporary artists from all over the world. As we looked at his painting, "Shopping List-California Dreaming", I remember thinking, "this is probably the most un-Chilean painting I have ever seen." A title like that does not sound precisely Chilean, let alone Latin American.

On a closer look, however, I realized that Daniel's work has indeed, a lot to do with Chile; it reflects what anyone in Santiago is exposed to, everyday: American music, clothes, TV, food, fashion, films, trends. Day in and day out, we float on a constant flow of consumer products "Made in U.S.A."

As we began to know him better, we also realized something else about his work: Daniel Mena is like his paintings. Not just because he evidently portrays himself in some of them; but more importantly, because he does something quite unique: he becomes his paintings. One after the other, embedded in every canvas, you can see Mena's personality, his character, his playfulness, his sense of humor, and yes, perhaps some of his ghosts, too.

When we opened this art gallery in October of last year, we wanted it to become a space where emerging Chilean artists could gain international exposure, with Washington DC as the first door to that end.The present exhibit could not be a more appropriate representation of Ambassador Bianchi´s mission throughout his remarkable administration. The reason is rather obvious to the eye: Daniel Mena´s paintings give visual expression to the exchange between the United States and Chile.

Finally, we would not be opening this exhibit today if it wasn't for the committed support of Emilio Lamarca, Head of the Cultural Division at the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and of his collaborator and Director of Visual Arts, Alejandro Manríquez.

To all of you, a huge thanks.

Lydia Bendersky
Cultural Attachée
Embassy of Chile to the US