Five leading artists and creative collectives in Latin America and the Caribbean follow the metaphor that the curators have devised about the overall theme of healing a broken world after the pandemic era.
In the video Cura, Bijari, a creative collective from Brazil, transforms abandoned cars and vacant lots in São Paulo into micro-gardens, bringing nature into urban spaces. This project showcases unconventional acts of revitalization, turning rusty vehicles into green oases amidst the city's hustle and bustle. It offers a glimpse of a potential alternative city, prompting us to reconsider how our urban environments can be improved. The initiative addresses urban challenges like reimagining urban ecology, managing resources, understanding territories, and adapting to the rhythms of urban growth.
Almanac of Daily Repair, by Mexican artist Lorena Wolffer, documents responses to the "Pact for the Other Pandemic," which calls for combating gender-based violence and discrimination. It acknowledges the heightened impact of such violence during the COVID-19 pandemic and urges for cultural transformation to eradicate it. The almanac emphasizes personal and community-level actions to stop the perpetuation of gender-based violence.
María José Machado's action, La silla vacía, utilizes an empty chair as a visual poetry device, symbolizing a response to the Constitution of Ecuador. Through this symbolic gesture, the artist encourages listening to community-specific issues and contemplating legislative solutions. In a video performance, Machado tours educational buildings, highlighting their current state during the pandemic-induced closures. The voices of children, teenagers, and young adults are featured, responding to the question of how art can aid in overcoming the pandemic.
Christopher Cozier, (Trinidad & Tobago), collaborated with four local artists to create a series of unique performances addressing the Caribbean sense of burden and belonging. Cozier views this collaboration as part of the ongoing process of healing and transformation within Caribbean culture. The performances, influenced by individual styles, explore themes such as social conditions, historical legacies, and the concept of property. Through these actions, the artists aim to negotiate and adapt to current challenges while also addressing past wounds and envisioning a future trajectory.
Artists Nicole L’Huillier and Patricia Domínguez collaborated on Leche holográfica (Holographic Milk), a meditative plea for envisioning sustainable futures. This artistic creation blends various elements to inspire thoughts of self-sustaining production and communal harmony. It incorporates sounds and images, evoking a sense of nurturing from the "Gran Madre" through the metaphor of holographic milk. The piece is described as a source of wisdom and inspiration to guide us through challenging times.
This publication gathers essays from renowned Latin American and Caribbean cultural leaders, artists, economists, urban planners, architects, and technologists, who address topics such as the impact of cultural institutions in reimagining communities; artists as first-responders in times of crisis; and the future of our cities and their technological advances in light of remote work, learning, isolation, and new platforms for communication and mobility. Authors were originally part of the virtual summit Healing a Broken World presented by the Inter American Development Bank in April 2021.
(Videos in Spanish)
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