- 24 August 2025 3 pm UTC
- dur 3 min
Waters refer to emotions; as our waters are, so are our emotions. Our impact as a species has caused the displacement of many animal and plant species from their habitats. It is important to clean the waters of the Bogotá River; surely, cleaning these bodies of water will have a positive impact on the lives of those who live there.This intervention in public space is an excuse to leave a memory in the territory, to think that the rivers of large cities can be clean, that people can wade in, enjoy the water, see fish and animals; all these images seem like a utopia. Many of us have thought and questioned: Why is our river like this? Why are the rivers polluted? Therefore, art must be a tool for social transformation, to take ownership of our territory, to cherish it, to love it, to abandon indifference. Bogotá, being a capital, makes the lives of its inhabitants very fast-paced; its citizens are only concerned with how to survive. Fear, insecurity, and the expensive way of life make us forget more important things like water. Water is the foundation of life.
Since last year, I’ve been exploring various areas of the Jaboque Wetland (Muysc cubun: land of abundance). Amidst drug use, noise from the working-class neighborhoods, and the great diversity of flora and fauna, I decided to create two graffiti interventions in the public space, above two canals where water flows. I also performed a performance in which I removed trash from the water. My intention is to activate and spark interest among passersby regarding water conservation. It is through art that we can insert into the collective imagination that it is possible to keep our water bodies clean.
I am a visual artist, university professor, and cultural manager. Beyond the artistic medium, I use art as an excuse to question identity and power, c:oncepts I articulate with violence, politics, the environment, and substance use. I attempt to rupture my context through poetry, using my research discourse as a bridge for reflection on contemporary life. artist website
