Returning to Valparaíso: Art, Memory, and Cultural Identity in Chile
Aspen is currently seeking opportunities to connect with alumni, researchers, artists, journalists, NGOs, governmental organizations, and community members in Chile whose work aligns with cultural memory, social justice, public storytelling, international affairs, or the arts.
If you have connections, recommendations, or would be open to speaking with Aspen, please email her ataspenreeves7@gmail.com.
In Fall 2026, IAFS alumna and Global Grant recipient (IAFS ’23) will return to Valparaíso, Chile to conduct an independent writing and multimedia project exploring collective memory, memorialization, and the role of art in post-atrocity reconstruction.
Aspen originally studied in Valparaíso during a year-long program in 2023 supported by a Global Grant scholarship. During her time abroad, she became deeply interested in the relationship between public space, political memory, artistic expression, and cultural identity in Chile — interests she now hopes to revisit through a new “from the field” perspective as an alumna pursuing a career connected to international affairs, storytelling, and cultural research. Aspen’s writing and multimedia reflections will be published in collaboration with IAFS and the Latin American and Latinx Studies Center (LALSC).
While in Chile, Aspen plans to focus on collective memory and the role of art in memorialization, using Valparaíso’s vibrant artistic and cultural landscape — including street art, music, literature, and public performance — as a lens for examining how communities preserve history, process political trauma, and communicate identity through creative expression. She also hopes to explore how US–Chile relations and historical political dynamics continue to shape contemporary Chilean national identity and cultural expression.
In addition to written reflections, the project will include a strong visual storytelling component featuring photography, filmed interviews, and videos documenting public art, music, landscapes, performances, and everyday life in Valparaíso.
Keep an eye out for additional articles, interviews, photography, and multimedia reflections from Aspen’s project throughout Fall 2026 on the IAFS website and social media channels!
