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Latin America

Camilo Echeverri
El mato

El mato is a series of still images by Camilo Echeverri, produced in collaboration with AI, that originate from a visit the artist made to the archeological site of Chiribiquete, Colombia, where a series of plateaus with paintings on rock dating from 12,500 years ago was only recently ‘discovered’ by the West. Organized into a digital slideshow, the work explores the creation of images and their arrangement in narratives that transport viewers to partially imaginary worlds. Oscillating between utopian and dystopian, the imagery addresses issues of territory, displacement, and survival processes for the construction of a new habitat that spring from concerns regarding the conservation of the Amazon. Using photographs taken during this trip, the artist employs AI as an ally and a tool to develop a conversation about the Amazon jungle (termed “mato”), its past and present inhabitants, as well as its conservation. Merging local nuances with universal themes of survival and conservation in a world grappling with environmental degradation, Echeverri’s work invites viewers to confront uncomfortable truths while holding space for possible futures.

Trained as an architect, Camilo Echeverri multimedia practice focuses on the study of images and their layered meanings; narratives created through sequences of pictures; the logic of representation; and simulations of fictional worlds. Through images produced with different media, Echeverri’s work both describes current and imagines possible realms. His projects usually consist of carefully articulated series of photographs, drawings, and paintings that are displayed in intimate installations. Through thematic explorations, Echeverri has delved into subjects such as belonging, territory, memories, family, habitat, and migration, topics through which he navigates seamlessly, often blending and putting them in dialogue while creating spaces for doubt, speculation and fracture. The artist has thoroughly explored the way the (built) environment determines peoples’ lives; exploring aspects of migration patterns, housing development, new settlements, and reconstruction, as well as the materials implicated in these processes.