Wondering in the streets of Bogota – Colombia one can find a variety of visual experiences which could appear colourful to some and messy to others. From people selling fruit in the streets to long queues of cars and buildings, Bogota is a place that appears to receive everything.
Mango is one of the many fruits sold in the streets in Colombia
View of Bogota – Colombia
Bacata, was the original name given by the indigenous people who lived in the territory, where the capital city of Colombia, Bogota, is located.
Bacata, is a word that has been interpreted in different ways such as “limit of the farm field”, “field for planting” or even as “The Lady of the Andes.”
View of The Andes Mountains
Bacata, now known as Bogota, is a place that keeps the memory of the ancestral indigenous wisdom despite the passing of time and the transformation the territory has had throughout the years.
This memory is increasingly starting to be visible thanks to the work of renowned artists such as Juan Baron and Jean Paul Zapata, who have captured beautiful scenes in the walls that now appear as portals to other dimensions.
In these murals, which are present in many neighbourhoods such as Candelaria, Chapinero, and main roads such as Carrera 30, people can find images of birds, plants and people; all of them reminding us all of the knowledge that indigenous communities have kept and cared for, for millennia.
Jean Zapata – Niño Embera
The hummingbird, one of the birds that can be found in various of these murals, according to the indigenous people, is a messenger between the realm of the spirit and the physical realm. Known as Quynza or Quincha, the hummingbird carries a message of hope, reminding us of our spiritual nature.
Mural in Aquitania – Colombia, Artist Juan Baron
Being a pollinator, the hummingbird travels and appears to the human eye that is aware of their surroundings. These murals acting as portals to other dimensions, help us see what’s possible in the mist of what to some still appear as a very grey and dull city. The hummingbird, also as a symbol of resurrection, supports the idea of creating and transforming humanity bringing hope of saving the planet earth.
Hummingbird mural by Soy Faunista in the streets of Choachi municipality in Colombia
Hummingbird mural in the streets of Chapinero neighbourhood in Bogota
Bogota, is not the only place where these murals can be found. It’s possible to find them also in other cities and small towns while traveling across the country.
Another important theme present in these murals, are crops of maize, which are also considered sacred and a substance of life.
Mural in Mosquera – Cundinamarca, Colombia, Photography by Alexander Laserna Valencia
According to Alexander Laserna Valencia, a cultural manager of the municipality of Soacha in Colombia, “these murals give new meaning to the territory, a territory that people see very negatively, through an aesthetic proposal, especially for new generations, different from what the media usually portrays.”
Among other animals such as the eagle, the condor, the Andean bear, and the guacamaya bird, the jaguar is also very present as the guardian of the rainforest and a spirit guide that holds strength and power.
Mural in la Candelaria neighbourhood in Bogota – Colombia, by Mr. Garek and La India Art
Responding to the idea of weaving, which is also a very important memory that has been held and kept by indigenous communities, these murals are also creating a type of tapestry and road map to follow to the keen eye that is curious to find the path of remembrance.
