Art History with Indigenous Communities
I’m honored to contribute to Colombian and Latin American art history with a seminal text for the German academy. (you can download the book here)
My essay “Künstlerkollektive mit indigenen Gemeinschaften: Neue Strategien in der zeitgenössischen kolumbianischen Kunst” (‘Artistic Collectives with Indigenous Communities: New Strategies in Contemporary Colombian Art’.) is published in the book “Kritik Neo-Extraktivismus Gegenwartkunst” edited by Dr. Hauke Ohls and. Prof. Dr. Birgit Mesrmann. (Meson Press)
With a beautiful design, my thanks go to the editors for the care, curiosity, and work to bring this text to light.
In my curatorial work with contemporary Latin American art, I have observed changing artistic strategies developed in collaboration or co-creation with indigenous ethnic groups. Unlike in previous decades, mestizo artists now directly involve indigenous artists and strive for a symmetrical relationship in which the heritage of the communities is acknowledged and recognized as such. This essay explores the historical and political contexts behind the development of these new co-creative strategies, focusing on the concept of cultural extraction, which is central to today’s understanding of these dynamics.
In this essay I explore the work of Juan Mayr and the Tairona Community, Millones de Maneras and the dynamics that Liliana Sanguino, Laura Laurens, Roxana Panchi, and the other members have achieved to integrate indigenous creators into the art and fashion system. I also highlight the indigenous collective Ñambi Rimai, the work of Felipe Castelblanco, and Ayenan, in an effort to consolidate the communication and empowerment of the pan-Amazonian communities in Putumayo, while caring for the precious natural resources of the area.
Thanks to Alexandra Meffert, who with a unique passion and love for Latin America, allocates part of her resources so that these creators can find a voice in Europe.
Published by Meson Press, part of the series of Future Ecologies, by Petra Löffler, Claudia Mareis and Florian Sprenger.