Description
This course offers a critical approach to Colombian art of the 20th and early 21st centuries, focusing on its relationship with political violence, forced displacement, and struggles over memory. Over four sessions, participants will analyze works and processes that address the wounded body, absence, archives, and testimony, situating them within their historical and social context.
Session 1. Naming violence: early images of conflict in the 20th century.
Session 2. The Wounded Body and Mourning: Art and Absence. Late 20th Century – 1990s
Session 3. Displacement, Testimony and Archive. From 2000 Onwards
Session 4. Contested Memories: Contemporary Art and the Present. From the Post-Agreement to the Present
Through image analysis, short readings, and guided discussion, the course proposes understanding art not only as a representation of armed conflict, but also as an active field in constructing meaning about the past and present. No prior knowledge is required.
About Natalia Calao
She holds a Master’s degree in Visual Arts, is a calligrapher, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Cultural Studies at the Pontifical Javeriana University. Her practice focuses on the intersections of art, memory, and conflict in Colombia, addressing themes such as forced displacement and the home as a political subject. Using handwriting and calligraphy as gestures and traces of experience, she designs and facilitates educational and collective creation spaces that propose art as a site for critical reflection and meaning-making.
IMPORTANT NOTICES
- The course will only run if a minimum number of participants are enrolled. If the minimum number of participants is not reached, the course will be cancelled and registered participants will be notified.
- We inform our visitors that during exhibitions and public events, the Museum of Modern Art of Medellín may take photographic, video, and/or audiovisual recordings that may include images of attendees. These recordings will be used for institutional dissemination, promotion of cultural activities, and documentation of the Museum’s cultural work, within the framework of its legal functions. Your data will be processed in accordance with current personal data protection policies and the guidelines established by the entity.
