Flor Alba Briceño y Santiago Reyes Villaveces.
bejuco y almbre de cobre
200cm x 100cm x 70cm
Collaboration is a fundamental principle in the work of Santiago Reyes Villaveces. His practice operates at the intersection of diverse fields of knowledge, necessitating investigative support from specialists in sciences, technologies, and various artistic expressions. Reyes Villaveces is particularly interested in the ways in which powerful forces, such as gravity—often considered entirely abstract—take shape in the physical world, including in the human body itself.
He observes the symptoms of unseen forces that move between the heavens and the earth, tracing their manifestations in crystallizations across the landscape or in the movements that traverse it. These phenomena are explored not only through dialogue with experts but also through the interpretations provided by different cultures throughout history. Among these are pre-Hispanic cultures, especially those that once inhabited what is now the department of Tolima, where Reyes Villaveces has established one of his studios. In general, his work resonates with sounds from the depths of consciousness or the earth, reaching even cosmic distances. In this way, he initiates interactions between disciplines rooted in empirical verification and knowledge based on systemic observations.
This collaboration with the weaver Flor Alba Villavicencio represents a new opportunity for the artist to engage with the tangible manifestations of the invisible. Villavicencio carries a legacy of expertise in handling and weaving the vegetable fibers that grow in the Fúquene lagoon in Cundinamarca. She learned this tradition from her parents and grandparents, defending the survival of the vital knowledge of the Muisca people from whom her family descends.
Flor Alba Villavicencio has a striking knowledge of the growth and maturity cycles of the fibers she works with, guided by the rhythms of the sun, wind, and water. This tradition not only allows her to excel in her craft but also grants her an intimate understanding of the natural processes that enable the persistent regeneration of these fibers.
Like Reyes Villaveces, Villavicencio is deeply committed to humanity’s role in restoring ecological balance. Having spent her entire life surrounded by nature and practicing her craft since she was five, she has witnessed, with sadness, the deterioration of the lagoon that has provided her with wisdom and sustenance. This has led her to recognize the urgency with which we must investigate and act to restore our environment and safeguard this ecological heritage, which once held a sacred and transcendent value for the Muisca community.
Maria Iovino
