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Santiago has been witness, in the past few years, to spectacular development in architecture and the visual and decorative arts. There are some barrios in which this phenomenon can be clearly observed. Vitacura is a striking example. The area around the Alonso de Córdova and Nueva Costañera avenues concentrates an interesting group of art galleries and shops within a few blocks of graceful urban ambiance .

The shops specialize mainly in items of decoration and of daily use in which vanguard designs have been incorporated with startling originality and good taste. Such is the case, for instance, with the products to be found in (Alonso de Córdova No. 3890). Each article carries a funny description of its origin, its designer and other interesting details. Another shop is (Alonso de Córdova No. 3026), where you will find innumerable objects, mainly of European origin, together with furniture made of native wood species like Coigüe in simple yet sophisticated forms that highlight the natural charm and warmth of the material. Other stores such as have ethnic objects like masks, fabrics and cushions. Latin American handicrafts can be bought in

fter this we have the three art galleries, which are currently exhibiting a wide sample of what is occurring in today’s art scene.

Plástica Nueva: This gallery is situated at Alonso de Córdova No. 3053 and is hosting an exhibition of the works of Paz Lira Campo, a young plastic artist, entitled until December 22. Lira applies color to her fabrics in an intensely expressive way. Through the application of successive layers of material she manages to create interesting reliefs and textures that evoke universal symbols and cycles that merge into each other. Plástica Nueva is open from Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.. On Saturdays it is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

On the second floor of the Galería Tomás Andreu (Nueva Costañera No. 3731), you will find an exposition of photography by Luis González Palma. Fate led this Guatemalan born artist into the fields of architecture and photography in 1984. Now he surprises us with a series of sepia-toned portraits. They incorporate unusual materials like betún de judea and cut-outs. Using advanced laboratory techniques, González manages to reflect in the visages of his models classical features of Latin American race and culture, subtly hinting at the drama woven into their souls. The faces seem trapped behind the glass of a lens and are curiously alive, their eyes riveted on the visitor.

In the gallery basement you can acquire the works of some of today's most distinguished Chilean plastic artists. There are lithographs by Gonzalo Cienfuegos, engravings by Ernesto Banderas, contemporary avant-garde art by Arturo Duclos and hyper-realist oil paintings by Ricardo Matte. The cellar has the same hours as the exhibition: Monday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday: from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Saturday: from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Right next door is the A.M.S. Marlborough gallery where the sculptor Fernando Casasempere is exhibiting his until December 7. In this series of works he utilizes ceramics, bronze, and other uncommon materials like sand and crushed sea-shells to create striking pieces. Some have smooth surfaces, suggestive of incomplete human figures; others present a multi-hued texture. The work is the result of long and meticulous research into the materials and into his own body.

Having enjoyed this feast for the spirit, you can indulge the body! Opposite the gallery Plástica Nueva, is where you can enjoy a snack, comment on all that has been seen, and prepare yourself for the last stop on the round.

At the gallery Arte Prima (Américo Vespucio Norte No. 2470) you will find exhibited, until December 15, the works of two promising young Chileans, María Inés Schmidt and Carolina Larrea. Painter and photographer, respectively, in this joint exhibition, they tackle the theme of the human being from perspectives that are both contrary and complementary, simple in form but full of symbolism that you are urged to interpret.

Schmidt uses inorganic materials to create thick textures in which the human figure is reduced to its essence and appears inserted like just another element. Larrea achieves a subtle counterpoint with her photographs that are stamped on paper that she herself makes from natural fibers. The result is delicate but surprising in its expressive force. Not to be missed!

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