The Photographer's Gallery's Once More, With Feeling exhibition is currently showing a range of work from Colombian photographers rarely shown in the UK.
Milena Bonilla traveled through the capital city of Bogotá photographing slashed and torn bus seats before performing a little upholsturgery and snapping the results. There's something strangely pleasing about these quiet little acts of public servitude - a metaphor for the desire in ordinary Columbians for a resolution to the country's forty year civil war... if you wanted to be pretentious about it.
Juan Manuel Echavarría's videos are, however, actually metaphors. The former novelist quit the written form because he was "drowning in words", and this video of two parrots in conversation simplifies the language of the forty years of civil war so completely that it becomes a farce. One bird says
"Guerra" (War), the other replies
"Paz" (Peace). Repeat.
María Elvira Escallón's photographs document details of the remains of the El Nogal club in Bogota, which was bombed in 2003 (FARC were blamed). 36 people were killed, and more than 200 injured. The marks you can see were etched out of the soot by fingers groping across the doors and walls.
This may seem a familiar concept to those of you who've seen similar projects by Ahree Lee, Noah Kalina and others, but Juan Pablo Echeverri's collection of daily passport-style self-portraits are still effective (see top image also). Taken over seven years, the epic project feels like a lightning autobiography of Echeverri's various hairstyles, outfits and beards.
Continuing in the self-portrait vein, Oscar Muñoz paints his face onto hot pavement using water. The picture is constantly unfinished however, as the first strokes begin to evaporate before it can be completed. The increasing speed never manages to outrun the city heat, and we are forever denied a full view of the artist.
You can see Once more, with feeling: Recent photography from Colombia at The Photographer's Gallery, 5 & 8 Great Newport Street until 15 June. More info at their website, www.photonet.org.uk
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