The MAC's new course of action is to establish novel channels of cultural and artistic exchange through new alliances in the realization of international visual art exhibitions, as a way to break through the North-South axis of the post-Colonialist era, where - as a Latin American country - we are subordinated to the periphery.

Understanding the concept of Culture in its broadest meaning, "as the distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and affective features that characterize a society or a social group and that - aside from arts and letters - also involve ways of life, ways of living together, systems of values, traditions and beliefs" (1), we consider that now is the appropriate time to create new relationships among nations that have not had much contact for centuries.

Hence, we regard Article 10 of UNESCO's Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity (adopted by the 31st session of UNESCO's General Conference, in Paris, 02 November 2001) as a fundamental theoretical pillar for this exchange. It stipulates the importance of reinforcing the creative and diffusion capabilities of culture at world level, considering the current unbalance in the flow and exchange of cultural goods at international level, and with the purpose of allowing all Economies, "particularly the developing ones and those in transition to development, to establish viable and competitive cultural industries at both domestic and international levels".

This would enhance trade exchange, previously initiated by a dialogue through Art. Due to its increasingly universal language, we believe contemporary art represents the best opportunity to open this link, enriching the relationship among our different cultures.

It is important to change pre-existing precepts from the periphery, by instating new forms in the circulation of art. But reversing the flow does not only imply changing domination and hegemony schemes, but also intervening in the action by creating circulation strategies and spaces for theoretical reflection, as ways to contribute to the pluralization and enrichment of art circulation in a truly global sense.

Thus, the incorporation of MAC to this cooperation forum seeks to create a showcase for our local artists' reflections and production in art. Contemporary artists are compilers of images, anthropologists of visuality, who contribute through their works to human development, which goes hand-in-hand with economic development.

It is also essential to point out that the global and international are not opposed to the regional, therefore, the exchange of knowledge through dialogue among different cultures becomes essential.

This has been grasped by young Chilean artists. As art infrastructure has developed in Chile, they have sought independent exhibitions abroad as a way to broaden the boundaries to the interpretation of their works.

Reflection and the exchange of visual art exhibitions among the different cultures that make up APEC, will call attention to the significant socio-cultural changes that have taken place in them. This will represent an opportunity for artists to express these cultural changes through their work and observe the dialogue that their reflection arouses when it is presented in a context outside their own.

Consequently, the works will be interpreted from a new perspective, one that has been practically non-existent up to now in Latin American art. At the same time, the art of cultures that have been practically non-existent in Chile will have cultural dissemination. Despite the little contact existing between Chile and the Asia Pacific region, both share one characteristic: they have been subordinated for centuries to the European visual model, having access only to the copy of the original, which is their dominant reference.

Chilean artists will express in their works the deep social changes that have taken place in recent years in Chile, where the dynamics of globalization and people's individualization, the centrality of the market, new technologies, in addition to the re-definition of the role of the State, play a preponderant role. At the same time, the production of art does not disregard its link with the identity of indigenous peoples, their historical conflicts and victories, their present, their memory.

The identity of peoples is not undermined by globalization as such, but by the subjective experiences of the inhabitants of each country, and major transformations, aside from taking place at macro-social level, also take place in each individual's everyday life.

In these exchanges taken on by MAC, artists will pursue and express visually a fragile identity - undergoing constant change, and with profound dynamism that has a bearing on all areas of society - among them art, that is also influenced by these changes.

The conferences that will be held along with these art exhibitions will seek dialogue on these new cultural agreements that promote cultural diversity and enhance our cultural heritage, by safeguarding the essence of our peoples.

_______________________________
Definition based on the conclusions of the World Conference on Cultural Policies (MONDIACULT, Mexico, 1982), the World Commission on Culture and Development (Our Cultural Diversity, 1995) and the Intergovernmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development (Stockholm, 1998).