ON THE IM-POSSIBILITY OF COMMUNICATING. “DICHO A MANO”, BY FELIPE PINEDA

The exhibition "Dicho a mano" by Chilean artist Felipe Pineda, curated by Ayelén Ruiz at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Santiago, explores the difficulty of communication when words fail, turning to the body and hands as alternative languages. Pineda draws on his migratory experience in London and references mutilated classical sculptures from the British Museum, while a recent theft of one piece adds an unexpected dimension. The show reflects on barriers in art and human connection, proposing that even failed communication carries a desire to be understood.

This exhibition matters because it addresses universal themes of migration, language barriers, and sensory exclusion in art spaces, using sculpture to create a new language from the limits of intelligibility. By linking personal experience with broader cultural and institutional critique—such as museum signage that prohibits touch and the displacement of artworks—Pineda's work resonates with contemporary debates about accessibility, decolonization, and the role of the body in art. The theft of a piece further underscores the fragility and unpredictability of art in public spaces.