DESIGN AND VIOLENCE
Textile Project intended as a critic and PROTEST towards local Colombian (South America) ELITE and GOVERNMENT, also towards the INTERNATIONAL community involved in this ongoing CONFLICT.
The word "ojo" (=oh hoh) in Spanish means "eye". In Colombia, the expression "OJO!" is used by the general public in informal speech to say "Beware!", "Keep attentive!"
At OJO! we claim Empathy, Awareness for Colonial and Extractivist practices, Respect for Historical Memory, Peace Process, and the Truth. We claim for the will to SEE, to confront the harsh burden we all have to carry for this tragedy...
We use our design tools such as colour palette, material, and imagery to criticize the notions of TASTE that permeate all of this.
None of the pieces are for sale.
All images of own work have @copyright
Machuca Mola
The original Mola I built, used Colombian journalist Jesus Abad Colorado´s image from the Machuca town in the Antioquia region showing the "funeral of victims killed by an ELN (National Liberation Army) guerrilla attack against the central oil duct, near Segovia, in northwest Colombia. The nighttime assault caused 20.000 gallons of crude oil to flow into the Pocuné, river near the village of Machuca. Minutes later an explosion destroyed the vegetation, a part of the village, and the life of 66 civilians". River of oil, polluted river, a river of death...
Delicate and colourful textile pieces tricking your eyes like a Trojan Horse. Here, life was devoured. The Mola technique, through the pilling and then carving of fabric creates a multilayered structure, tries to reconstruct this damaged territory.
People were here replaced like Pre-Columbian gods by golden foil, our culture and our people from all kinds of backgrounds are the most important richness of this soil.
SOME OF THESE TEXTILES INCLUDE BULLETPROOF FABRIC, THE ONE USED FOR THE MAKING OF VESTS AND SAFEGUARD CLOTHING.