PLASTIC PACHAMAMA
Orlando Alandia, Lucía Aragón, Viviana Cárdenas, Elvira Espejo Ayca, Cristian Laime, Julián Szlagowski Vence and additional works by Denisse Callisaya, Santiago Junior Alaya and the Master of the Virgin of Copacabana.

27. February – 29. March 2025

Curated by Dante Chumacero Evia and Joakim de Borda-Pedreira

Plastic Pachamama showcases the work of six leading artists from Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, and Mexico. This dynamic exhibition explores the complex cross-cultural reality of contemporary Latin America, where indigenous heritage and Western influences intersect, creating a rich, paradoxical and multifaceted cultural tapestry.

Plastic Pachamama reflects also the energy and complexity of the mega-cities Buenos Aires, Bogotá, La Paz, and Mexico City. The exhibition articulates the contradictions and surreal essence <of city life in these sprawling metropolises, where history coexist with the rapid evolution of modernity. These cities have vibrant artistic communities in spite of a general lack of art institutions and cultural funding. Here artists are often self-organised and exhibition venues are improvised. Art in Latin America is closely connected to social struggles and the fight for democratic values and freedom of speech, and artists often come at odds with those in power.

The title of the exhibition, Plastic Pachamama, is borrowed from an art work by Bolivian artist Cristian Laime Yujra, and can be understood as a metaphor for the merging of two worlds: the contemporary Westernized urban society, and the pre-colonial indigenous roots of Latin America. Although a vast continent made up by many nations and ethnicities, Latin American countries share a colonial past with all its complexities.

The Pachamama is a goddess worshipped by the indigenous peoples of the Andes since pre-columbian times. In Aymará mythology she is Mother Earth, a fertility goddess who presides over planting and harvesting. After the Spanish colonization of the Americas, the native populations were converted to Christianity, yet in a process of religious syncretism, the figure of the Virgin Mary was –and still is– associated with that of the Pachamama for many of the indigenous people.

Through a diverse range of mediums—painting, drawing, sculpture, and mixed media—each participating artist explores themes of identity, resistance, community, and transformation. The exhibition examines the ongoing dialogue between indigenous roots and colonial legacies within the context of rapidly changing urban environments, offering a unique glimpse into Latin America's evolving artistic landscape.

Three of the participating artists belong to the Latin American diaspora in Norway, adding another layer of a shared experience that crosses national borders and economic boundaries.
 
Participating artists:
 
Orlando Alandia (BO). Born in 1963 in Oruro, Bolivia, Alandia graduated from La Sapienza in Rome and works as an architect, painter and print maker. His paintings are inspired by the traditional indigenous textile garments known as “poncho”, while referencing Western modernist art history.

Lucía Aragón (MX). Graduated MFA from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts in 2018, and works with painting, graphics and murals. At RAM she will create a huge wall painting installation.

Viviana Cárdenas (CO), lives and works in Oslo. She graduated from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts and her multifaceted practice often deals with community, collective creativity and social bonds. She will contribute with workshops and interventions in the exhibition.
 
Elvira Espejo Ayca (BO) is a writer and textile artist from an indigenous community in Bolivia. She is internationally renowned and has represented her country in the Venice biennial. Her work is a revindication of the philosophical knowledge imbedded in indigenous crafts such as textile and pottery.

Cristian Laime Yujra (BO) studied at the Hernando Siles National Academy of Art in La Paz and has received international attention for his photorealist paintings in which he often uses his own mother as a model. Raised in the indigenous city of El Alto, his work reflects the historical weight of colonialism, while challenging norms of ethnicity and gender.
 
Julián Szlagowski Vence (AR) trained as architect at the University of Buenos Aires. While active in this profession, he has developed a parallel artistic practice that explores space and form through drawings and sculptural works. He has recently relocated to Norway and is currently based in Bergen.

In addition the exhibition includes works by artists Denisse Callista, Santiago Junior Alaya and the Master of the Virgin of Copacabana, an unidentified indigenous Peruvian painter of the mid 18th century.


The exhibition is supported by Fritt Ord.