13 panela: the new gold of colombia Panela is a staple in the Colombian cuisine, it is used as a drink, spice and source of energy. It is a national treasure and it has been around for centuries and is the theme of this exhibition. Coming from the first pressing of sugar cane, Panela has been involved in all the developments of the country from the slaves involved in its production at the beginning, to the industrialization of the agricultural fields. Visually and conceptually, Castaneda is interested in exploring the parallels between gold and panela. Much of his artwork utilizes both substances as signifiers. As a medium, panela offers a variety of creative possibilities and applications, in solid form within sculpture and installation, and in liquid form applied to works on paper. Metaphorically, both gold and panela embody innumerable historical references and sustain contemporary controversy as substances that operate within a contested system of value and commodification. Since the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, Colombia has been one of the major producers of sugar cane for a global market. Historically, panela was considered the gold of Europe and excessive consumption of sugar signified opulent material wealth. Royals and Nobles took pride in displaying their rotten teeth as a sign of power.
To show the contemporary art and experiment with its relation to its surroundings, it ś necessary to express its connective possibilities and make propositions where different senses are involved. The artist believes the first goal of art is the communication and the reflection about Its surroundings. The exhibition includes different works made with panela from 2010 to 2015: two videos, installations, photographs and a group of silkscreens made out of panela ink. Every piece Castañeda creates for his interventions have the essence of the versatility of the panela. The artist highlights the usage of the panela as a symbol of the national identity.
Nowadays, Panela shows a duality of values very similar in contradiction because inside of it there is clash of two primary needs of survival in this overpopulated society: The one of supplying a source of energy able to sustain our and development the other, the more primary need of supplying food. Panela, when valued as a biofuel, increases its value as a drink but it is threatened as such at the same time. It is related to power, inequality and poverty. Gold and Panela are both recipients of two extreme values, interlinked in this exhibition as two mirrors reflecting each other and creating images full of glimmer, bitterness, pain and sweetness. Hambre, 18 x 20 x 20 cm, panela, plástico y metal , 2013. Hunger , 18 x 20 x 20 cm, sugar cane (panela), plastic and metal, 2013.