In the Colombian mountains south of Huila, monumental tombs stand at an altitude of 1,730 metres above sea level. In front of these tombs, you will find guardian figures made of volcanic stone. These impressive sculptures, created around 2,000 years ago, bear animal features such as claws, teeth and wings. These different characteristics of nature also reflect their significance for humans, such as strength, protection and power. Some of these archaeological sculptures are in the collections of the Ethnologisches Museum in Berlin.
The teeth of a jaguar, the eyes of a snake
The immersive panorama by artist Yorleny Cardozo Peña vividly illustrates the flora and fauna of the Colombian mountain range as well as guardian figures thousands of years old. In an artistic laboratory, students explore the superpowers of animals, observe insects and plants with digital microscopes, learn about the vital importance of biodiversity, and design their own three-dimensional protective creatures.
The workshop is part of a long-term collaborative project in education and mediation between the Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH) and CoMuse, “The Collaborative Museum” at the Ethnologisches Museum and Museum für Asiatische Kunst in Berlin. A central focus is empowering children to feel capable of addressing climate change and species extinction by strengthening their own “superpowers.”
Fellowship Yorleny Cardozo Peña
Yorleny Cardozo Peña developed the artistic intervention “La voz de la montaña” as part of her research fellowship in Berlin for the exhibition at the Ethnologisches Museum. This is part of an artistic research laboratory on methods of promoting ecological awareness and self-efficacy in children. The intervention also invites adult visitors to engage playfully with the sculptures and the flora and fauna of San Agustín.
Further Information
Key Project Info
Region: Colombia, San Agustín, Huila
Community: Escuela del Parque Zede Mesitas and other schools
Cooperation partners: Parque arqueológico de San Agustín; Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia, Fernando Montejo, Margarita Reyes
Project management: Valerie von Stillfried
Artist/CoMuse Fellow: Yorleny Cardozo Peña
Scientific supervision: Stefanie Schien
Project funding: CoMuse
Project duration: 04/2024 – 12/2025