The Big House // La Casa Grande

La Casa Grande is a close look at the everyday life of Cauca indigenous people with the focus of reflection on the historical resistance led by its people; it´s a journey that relates territory as a social stage indispensable in building cultural identity and, at the same time, it is meant to survive through time despite the ravages of the armed conflict in Colombia, the stigmatization and the rapid pace of modern life that Colombia desires. This exhibit points out the importance of unity for survival and resistance and, at the same time, it reflects on great pillars of the construction of indigenous identity: The community, home, family, cultural heritage and the deep need of having a territory to live in. The Native "reguardos" (Reservations) where these photos were taken, resemble a country in peace and calmness; something, we all, Colombians desire. This landscape displays a contradictory image of what we actually find in Cauca nowadays. Cauca is one of the areas with the largest armed conflicts and forced displacements in the country. The images presented here lead us to the intimate spaces where we recognize the value of the stories that take place in the home: The everyday life and the basics for survival. That place has been taken away because of the war. The light, as the main element in photography, is used as a tool to unveil other possible worlds through the Obscure Camera (Camera Obscura) set in each of the houses. Each image transforms the daily outdoor scenes, allowing us to imagine a better Cauca and a better country, full of peace and prosperity, as something possible and, thanks also, to the ability we all have to imagine a more magical world full of respect for human life.