︎

Alejandra Arévalo

          

Alejandra Arévalo

Hijos del silencio

( Children of silence) ongoing


Evelyn 5th Birthday Evelyn Sundroos came to Sweeden when she was one year and a half old. Her biological moher Carmen never gave her up for adoption. Under false promises chilean social workers took Evelyn to send her to a swedish family. In 2019, after her own research, Evelyn learns about her origins and how she came to Europe. First Congress of adoptees in Europe, Stockholm, Sweeden, June 2022. Postcard Nr.1 sent from Chile to Lovisa's adoptive parents by Ana Maria Elgrem. Elgrem was in charge of sending most of the Chilean children to Sweden. Gabriela Fernández found her biological sister in 2019 with the help of Hijos y Madres del Silencio, non-govern- mental organization in charge of the search and reunifi- cation of families separated by illegal adoptions in Chile during the Pinochet dictatorship. Lucila de las Mercedes Riquelme arrived to Sweeden when she was 4 years old by the hand of Ana Maria Elgrem, the person in charge of connecting the kidnapped children to the Swedish adoptive families. Lucila doesn’t have any contact with her adoptive family since they mistreated her for many years. She plans now to move to Chile to to live with one of her sisters. Grandkottenbagen, neighborhood where Elgrem used to live and where Lucila spent her childhood. Nilsson-Grönlund’s family Album. Lovisa arrival in Stokholm. Lovisa in her leaving room. Lovisa's Biological mother. They talk constantly by video call. Anna Sjolund found her biological mother at age 34, rea- lizing she comes from a strong Mapuche lineage. In 2017 she visited her biological family in Chile for the first time and since then it was clear that she needed to reclaim and take her heritage and indetntity back. Postcard Nr.2. Cristian Leite arrived to Sweeden when he was 1 year and five monts old. In 2017 he found her biological sister and later in December he flew to Chile to meet his biological mother. Cici and Sosso are sisters. Both were ilegally adopted to two different families in Sweeden. In 2020 they found out about the existence of each other thanks to the investiga- tion of Hijos y Madres del Silencio. They haven’t found yet thei biological mother. Claudio was taken to the Hogar Los Ángeles when he was one year old under the false presumption of being sick. Some weeks after Claudio’s internment, he was sent to France. In summmer 2021 Claudio was able to take contact with her biological family. Postcard Nr. 3.



A Cloud above me

Sound of an echo

Guardavecinos

Ongoing

Hijos del Silencio

The forced Oblivion


A Cloud above me

Mamabena otra Ariabena

Sound of an echo

Guardavecinos


© Alejandra Arévalo 2023