HILO A TIERRA
NICOLÁS BONILLA, VANESSA GÓMEZ, ANA GONZÁLEZ
“Hilo a Tierra” is the second edition of a homonymous project initiated in Madrid, exploring the relationship between art, craftsmanship, and landscape in contemporary art in Colombia. This collaboration between the Marso Foundation and La Cometa Gallery showcases the work of Nicolás Bonilla, Vanessa Gómez, and Ana González – three young Colombian artists whose creations delve into the connection of cultural expressions from Colombia’s indigenous communities with the extensive tapestry of contemporary cultural expression. The exhibition is conceived as a space for encounter and dialogue, inviting viewers to recognize the forces present in these creations and appreciate the political power emanating from them.
The exhibition title relates to the cosmogonic and ritualistic aspects bestowed upon these practices by various Native American groups. The act of weaving is associated with the belief in imperceptible threads connecting us to the fabric of life. Weaving is a process of “grounding” these threads, bringing them into our existential plane. Similarly, the concept of “Hilo a Tierra” prompts reflection on our contemporary reality – hyperconnected yet detached from the immediate environment – reminding us, like electrical circuits, that humans require a grounding point for stability.
Nicolás Bonilla presents a new body of work, taking the idea of rivers as containers of meanings as a starting point, symbolizing the intricate interconnection between all human and non-human agencies in our world. The pieces in this exhibition are crafted from clay sourced from different rivers in Spain; here, the earth itself reveals and situates a fragment of the landscape and history of the location.
Vanessa Gómez explores various fibers and textile techniques used by different indigenous nations in Colombia. Her work highlights the relationship between the body, ritual processes, and the cultural and historical heritage of these communities, linking it to a reflection on our coexistence in the intangible realm of the contemporary digital world.
Ana González presents a series of works that underscore the current environmental crisis and the struggle for territory faced by many indigenous communities in Latin America. In her work, images of landscapes unravel into threads, altering the landscape, disintegrating it. Her work is also a denunciation of a system in crisis, where not only the natural environment is at risk but also the survival of these populations.
The dialogue between the work by these three artists’ blurs the boundaries between conventional categories and reveals a vibrant fabric composed of different forms of knowledge – situated and in resistance: pottery and textiles as repositories of sacred symbols and rituals of our shared humanity.
Sofía Mariscal / curator
