More than a place to eat: visual aesthetics and educational policies in Chilean school dining halls (1912–2020)

Abstract

This visual essay portrays the historical development of an invisibilized space in Chilean schools: the dining hall. By analysing eight archive-based figures and one food-related poster from the early 20th century to the 21st century, the essay calls into question the relationships between visual aesthetics and educational policies. The authors argue that this typically unnoticed space can help problematize peculiar features of the visual culture of schools, the educational policies that shape food and health in schools, and the everyday practices of commensality that make the dining hall a unique educational venue.