Chilean Artist and Writer Pedro Lemebel Dies at 62

Pedro Lemebel, a Chilean novelist, writer, and performance artist, passed away on 23 January 2015 due to laryngeal cancer. Renowned for his activism, he fought against authoritarianism and advocated for marginalized communities, including the queer population, individuals with AIDS, and sex workers, all of which were central to his artistic expression. In 1987, he co-founded the countercultural group Las Yeguas del Apocalipsis with poet Francisco Casas Silva, known for their provocative performances. A striking 1990 act, Cuerpos Contingentes, featured the duo appearing at an exhibition opening, bound in wheelchairs with barbed wire and adorned with dissected birds, symbolizing the HIV virus. Lemebel became a significant figure in queer literature, especially with his 2001 novel My Tender Matador, which portrays a relationship amid the Pinochet regime. His honors include a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1999 and the José Donoso Prize in 2013, with his work discussed at prestigious institutions like Harvard and Stanford.