Sites for Spectral Transference

In Sebastian Salfate’s experimental film Niña Hermosa, the road is simultaneously the central character, antagonist, soundtrack, and host. The work chronicles, over four years, a single animita—a type of shrine dedicated to tragic deaths—while considering material manifestations of love, loss, and popular religion in public space. Following theorists such as Aesthetic philosopher Claudia Lira Latuz, Salfate situates a specific animita as a syncretic practice, an intersection of pre-Columbian and Catholic desires to be close to death and its purifying potential.

More than two decades ago, 18-year-old Astrid Soto rode her motorcycle along ruta 68 in Chile. She died on the highway after colliding with a truck; her father, who was following behind her, bore witness to the scene. The horrific nature of the accident contributed to a kind of mythic aura around Soto’s death. This phenomenon is reflected in the roadside animita documented in Niña Hermosa: what began as a humble commemorative act has evolved to become a towering structure of stuffed animals, cosmetic items, flowers, and images of Soto as it accrues dust and debris against an endless orchestra of traffic noise.

Soto is not a martyr, but her idealized spectre exists in perpetuity through her shrine, a shared symbol maintained by self-appointed custodians. This communal experience of grief is further intensified by the intention of the Chilean government to expand the highway, which will require relocating the site—effectively enacting another tragedy as it compels mourners and audience members alike to reflect on whether a non–site-specific animita can hold the necessary symbolic power.

Please join us on April 21st for an online artist talk with Sebastian Salfate