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SINFONÍA TRÓPICO
Trees, seeds and the sounds of diversity BY CArIDAD BOTeLLA
Science and culture at work hand by hand... Here in Colombia there is no ISIS, but people and the natural world around them still need to fight their own battles for survival. Despite the fact that things are looking better compared to years ago; peace negotiations are moving forward and the country is enjoying a growing economy. But human activity, industrial development and the exploitation of natural resources pose a very serious threat to biodiversity. So while some things are getting better, others are getting worse and, while an economy is something that can have its ups and downs, the loss of biodiversity causes irreparable damage for generations to come. Addressing this challenge to keep developing and still respect ecosystems and their biodiversity, is vital to the continuity of life. While scientists work on the facts, and other professionals write endless reports on the subject, people remain oblivious to environmental problems. On the other side of the spectrum, we have art and culture, which more often than not address issues without looking further away than their own little worlds. Artworks are made about nature’s struggles, all right, but most likely they will stay hidden for the majority behind a gallery or biennial’s doors. What happens when these worlds, science and culture, come together to bridge their silent distance?
Environmental scientists Charlotte Streck and video artist Lillevan began working together with Glacier Music (2011), an interdisciplinary project addressing the problem of the melting glaciers in Central Asia (SS#34) which has been the cause of war between nations. Musicians and artists from rival countries were brought together to create music and art derived from their experience of the glacier. The idea behind an artistic collaboration among people who belong to different fronts was that they might think twice before they shoot at each other in a war. PLAIN, SIMPLE LANGUAGE With this model in mind, Charlotte and Lillevan started thinking about their next interdisciplinary project. Having a longstanding relation with Colombia, this seemed like a natural place for their next move. After doing research and having long conversations about possible topics and angles, they came to the conclusion that the local problem threatening the country’s stability is the loss of biodiversity caused by deforestation and other human-induced agents. This idea resulted in Sinfonía Trópico, a multidisciplinary project that combines culture and science to put them both to work hand in hand. Sinfonía Trópico will reach various rural and urban regions of the country where the topic of biodiversity and deforestation will be expressed in plain, simple language for everyone to understand and participate in. Our ambition is to bring culture and science together, and also closer
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to young people, by working together with them in workshops, creating collective murals, performances, theater pieces, music, artworks, photography, etc. Far away from written reports, far away from the gallery cocktail, Sinfonía Trópico will create a platform of institutions, scientists, musicians, artists and other professionals that will put all their energy into changing, if not the world, at least a few people’s minds in order to come to terms with nature and value the richness and diversity around them. Placed within the positive wave of the peace negotiations, we want to bring knowledge to young people, so that they know what’s at stake, but without the ongoing fatalistic tone that is associated with ‘explaining’ environmental problems. If your country is about to come out of a fifty-year war, peace must be made with nature as well, nature being that which surrounds your house, your village, your farm, your school, your city. Once we can look beyond violence and war crimes, there is just no way around it: the end of one war can’t mean the beginning of a new one.
Caridad Botella is curator at the Sinfonía Trópico exhibition in Bogota, Colombia. www.sinfoniatropico.org
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