Can a copy be a cultural rescue strategy? How can a replica destabilize Western notions of originality and authenticity? These are some of the questions raised by "Corrientes de retorno", a work by Pamela Cevallos exhibited at the Biennial Sesc_Videobrasil.
The result of collaboration with the community of La Pila in Ecuador, the work focuses on the looting of the archaeological pieces known as Gigantes de Bahía, found in 1966 on Los Esteros beach. The knowledge and sensitivity of the artisans who produced the replicas made it possible for the pieces to symbolically return to their original territory. Cevallos' work reflects on the tensions between the process of building heritage, illegal searches in archaeological sites and replicas of pre-Columbian pieces made by artisans for the tourist market.
Interviews
Image and sound: B Paolucci and Julia Gil
Editing: B Paolucci and Julia Gil
Recording of the works
Image: Helena Wolfenson, Marcos Yoshi and Tom Butcher Cury
Sound: Tomás Franco
- More about Pamela Cevallos in Collection