Mitologia De La Tierra
15 September - 20 November 2016
The Koppel Project
93 Baker Street, London
Artists: Germán Arrubla, Iván Castillo, Juliana Góngora, María Leguízamo, Melissa Cruz García, Omar Castañeda
Curated by Gabriella Sonabend & Sol Bailey-Barker
“There is a rawness to the work that cannot be divorced from the tumultuous and bloodied history of the Colombian civil war, one that has yet to reach a peaceful resolution. Cultural assimilation, heritage and the complexities of personal and political identities are a unifying factor within the artists’ works” this is tomorrow
In 2014 artist and curator Gabriella Sonabend and artist Sol Bailey Barker travelled to Colombia to create ‘From Myth To Earth’ a multi-media research project engaging with Colombian history, mythologies, folklore and landscapes. Throughout their journey and since returning to London, Bailey Barker and Sonabend met and came across the work of a number of Colombian artists, who influenced their perspective and deepened their understanding of Colombia.
In particular these artists are connected by a fascinating and complex relationship to time, history and perception; each finding ways to portray history with a philosophical questioning that highlights the complexities of Colombian identity and expressing oneself, within or outside of the country.
With the support of The Koppel Project and the Arts Council of England, Bailey Barker and Sonabend presented MITOLOGIA DE LA TIERRA an exhibition of 7 Colombian artists who Bailey Barker and Sonabend believe are key voices in understanding contemporary Colombian identity. The decompression room featured ‘Mapping Memories’ an ongoing research project by Veronica Posada Alvarez and Lorena Raigoso seeking the recognition of Latin Americans in the UK, aiming to make visible their cultural practices whilst strengthening community cohesion and sense of belonging to the areas in which they live, work and meet.
This show ran in parallel with FROM MYTH TO EARTH a multi-sensory exhibition of the works created by Bailey Barker and Sonabend during and after their research period in Colombia.