Eugenio Dittborn

The civilian government in Chile was overthrown in 1973 and the country became a dictatorship. Dittborn was part of a group of artists that explored ways of working in this political context and how to make links with the outside world. His ‘Airmail Paintings’ were designed to be folded and sent abroad. The destinations where the work has been displayed – including Tate – are recorded on the envelope, which forms part of the work. Dittborn compared the process to sending out a message in a bottle from a tiny island.