Disparitions
Helen Zout
The indelible imprints
of the disappearance
This book brings together photographs found or taken by Helen Zout on the marks left on survivors and victims’ families by the disappearances of people during Argentina’s last military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983.
The parents of the disappeared (especially mothers) were the first to organise themselves in the desperate search for their children, risking their lives (many mothers were murdered for these activities).
The former detainees who disappeared – yesterday’s protagonists, today’s witnesses – were direct victims of State Terrorism which used kidnapping, torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment as a means.
Between 25,000 and 30,000 people have disappeared, 2,000 to 3,000 of whom have been released from the 360 clandestine detention centres scattered throughout the country.
During their captivity, the detainees were blinded and therefore could not see the faces of the other victims, nor those of the killers. As a result of the laws of impunity and remission of sentence, the executioners enjoy their freedom, and thus tortured and tortur-ed can pass each other in the street without knowing it.
Today, parents of the missing, former detainees and children of the missing work, study, educate their children, while conducting interminable research to elucidate issues: Where do we come from? Who are we? Why are we alive? Survivors will bear the indelible marks of disappearance for the rest of their lives.
The photographs made and collected by Helen Zout synthesize this passage through questions, reflection, doubts, answers, uncertainties and brings together a useful process of research and investigation.