SIX ACTS: AN EXPERIMENT IN NARRATIVE JUSTICE

1- DESCRIPTION
Set against the current presidential election campaign in Colombia, Six Acts: An Experiment in Narrative Justice is based on a series of performative actions in public squares in Bogotá. Six actors of different social and ethnic backgrounds read peace speeches originally delivered by six Colombian liberal and left-wing political leaders (Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, Luis Carlos Galán, Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa, Jaime Pardo Leal, Carlos Pizarro and Rafael Uribe Uribe) who were assassinated in the last 100 years because of their ideology.

These 'acts' focused on the need to remember the systematic elimination of voices that have dared to oppose the ruling order by articulating their differing points of view and that have denounced by name those responsible for Colombia's repetitive history of political corruption and violence.

Drawing upon the notion of 'narrative justice;' that is, justice from the perspective of an aesthetic experience instead of a normative concept, this work offers an exercise of collective memory to underscore its transformative potential.

Click here to read the interview (PDF) "Enacting a Manifesto" by Gabriela Rangel published for the catalogue of an exhibition of Six Acts at the Henie Onstand Kunstsenter in Oslo.


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Six Acts: An Experiment in Narrative Justice (2010)
6-channel video installation


Six Acts at Hebbel am Ufer(HAU1), Berlin,two-channel video presentation			Six Acts at Henie Onstand (HOK), Oslo, two-channel video presentation


1- DESCRIPTION Set against the current presidential election campaign in Colombia, Six Acts: An Experiment in Narrative Justice is based on a series of performative actions in public squares in Bogotá. Six actors of different social and ethnic backgrounds read peace speeches originally delivered by six Colombian liberal and left-wing political leaders (Jorge Eliécer Gaitán, Luis Carlos Galán, Bernardo Jaramillo Ossa, Jaime Pardo Leal, Carlos Pizarro and Rafael Uribe Uribe) who were assassinated in the last 100 years because of their ideology. These 'acts' focused on the need to remember the systematic elimination of voices that have dared to oppose the ruling order by articulating their differing points of view and that have denounced by name those responsible for Colombia's repetitive history of political corruption and violence. Drawing upon the notion of 'narrative justice;' that is, justice from the perspective of an aesthetic experience instead of a normative concept, this work offers an exercise of collective memory to underscore its transformative potential. Click here to read the interview (PDF) "Enacting a Manifesto" by Gabriela Rangel published for the catalogue of an exhibition of Six Acts at the Henie Onstand Kunstsenter in Oslo.

			Six Acts at BLAA, Bogota, six-channel video presentation

2- VIDEOS OF PERFOMATIVE ACTS ACT I - RAFAEL URIBE URIBE Excerpts from "La Patria y la Libertad" (The Homeland and Freedom) by Rafael Uribe Uribe from 1901. Performed by Carmiña Martínez on March 16, 2010 at El Parque Nacional in Bogotá in front of Uribe Uribe's monument. ACT III - JAIME PARDO LEAL Speech: excerpt of an unidentified speech by Jaime Pardo Leal from 1986. Performed by Ivonne Rodríguez on March 16, 2010 at el Parque de Lourdes in Bogotá. ACT V - LUIS CARLOS GALAN Speech: "Un programa para la victoria" (A Program for Victory) by Luis Carlos Galán from 1989. Performed by Atala Bernal on March 16, 2010 at el Parque de Soacha where Galán was assassinated. ACT VI - BERNARDO JARAMILLO Speech: "Por la Paz" (For Peace) by Bernardo Jaramillo from 1989.Performed by Francisco Martínez on March 11, 2010 at el Chorro de Quevedo in Bogotá			ACT II - JORGE ELIECER GAITAN Speech: "Oración por la Paz" (Prayer for Peace) by Jorge Eliécer Gaitán from 1948. Performed by Dubián Gallego on March 17, 2010 at La Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá. ACT IV - CARLOS PIZARRO Speech: "Discurso electoral para la presidencia de Colombia 1990-1994" (Electoral Speech for the Presidency of Colombia 1990-1994) by Carlos Pizarro from 1990. Performed by Lisandro López on March 17, 2010 in the center of Bogotá. ACT V (EPILOGUE) - LUIS CARLOS GALAN Upon the completion of ACT V - LUIS CARLOS GALAN, a group of elderly protestors approached us to ask how we could help with their struggle.

			3- INSTALLATION & PHOTOGRAPHS


			Six Acts at Hebbel am Ufer(HAU1), Berlin,two-channel video presentation

4- BACKGROUND Six Acts: An Experiment in Narrative Justice responds to the assassination of liberal and left-wing political leaders in Colombia. As such, it is a context specific work that requires some historical background. If you wish, go to the links listed below to learn about each one of these historical figures: Jorge Eliécer Gaitán (Spanish) Jorge Eliécer Gaitán (English) Luis Carlos Galán (Spanish) Luis Carlos Galán (English) Bernardo Jaramillo (Spanish) Bernardo Jaramillo (English) Jaime Pardo Leal (Spanish) Jaime Pardo Leal (English) Carlos Pizarro (Spanish) Carlos Pizarro (English) Rafael Uribe Uribe (Spanish) Rafael Uribe Uribe (English) William Ospina's *Colombia: El proyecto nacional y la franja amarilla* provides an excellent analysis of the historico-political situation of Colombia. 4- CREDITS Cameras: Alexandra Posada, Irene Tobón Editor: Carlos Motta Still Photography: Carlos Augusto Botero Actors: Atala Bernal (Luis Carlos Galán), Dubián Gallego (Jorge Eliécer Gaitán), Lisandro López (Carlos Pizarro), Carmiña Martínez (Rafael Uribe), Francisco Martínez (Bernardo Jaramillo), and Ivonne Rodríguez (Jaime Pardo) Casting: Clara Sofia Arrieta Locations: Parque de Soacha (Luis Carlos Galán), Plaza de Bolivar (Jorge Eliécer Gaitán), Parque Santander (Carlos Pizarro), Parque Nacional (Rafael Uribe), Chorro de Quevedo (Bernardo Jaramillo), and Parque de Lourdes (Jaime Pardo). Research Assistants: Sonia Rojas, Hernando González English Translation of Speeches: Cora Sueldo Special Thanks: Irit Batsry, Annie Correal, Juan Pablo Echeverri, Felipe Espinoza, Arturo Motta, Cristina Motta, Sylvia Motta, Pedro Salazar, Lorenzo Morales, Franklin Suárez, Juan Gabriel Tokatlián and David van der Leer. The project was commissioned by Hebbel am Ufer (HAU), Berlin, Germany, and first presented in the context of the festival "Libertad y Desorden: Young Art from Colombia" in April 2010.

5- EXHIBITION HISTORY Hebbel am Ufer (HAU), Berlin, April, 2010 (Solo) Museo de Arte del Banco de la República - El Parqueadero, Bogotá, August, 2010 (Solo) Henie Onstand Kunssenter, Oslo, September 2010 (Group show: "The Creative Act") Art Today Association - Center for Contemporary Art, Plovdiv, Bulgaria, September 2010 (Group show: "Dwelling in Travel") 27th Kassel Documentary Film and Video Festival, Kassel, November 2010 (Group show: "Monitoring Exhibition") Museu Serralves, Porto, November 2010 (Group show: "To the Arts Citizens!") Stuttgarter Filmwinter, Stuttgart, January 2011 (Group show: "Medien im Raum") Guggenheim Museum, New York, February 2011 (Group show: "Found in Translation")