Urban Mapuche Theatricality (or Mapunky Aesthetics): Theoretical Approaches on the Performative Strategies of Cultural Identity

Resumen

The paper attempts a theoretical approach on certain theatrical prac- tices developed by the urban Mapuche youth since the late twentieth century. In order to do this from a social-aesthetical point of view, the paper will analyze the productions of two theater companies located in the city of Bariloche, Argentina and two companies from the city Santiago de Chile, paying a particular attention on the artistic practices of this part of the territory. Considering the understanding of these expressions as aesthetic strategies that enhance the performative cultural identity that emerges next to the historical and ideological context in which they occur, the essay will develop theoretical keys to interpret their intercultural meaning and to understand how this meaning questions the artistic discourse and national identity.