LISTENING TO THE MAGDALENA RIVER
2020, Colombia. With Laura Wiesner, Jaidy Díaz y Aníbal Maldonado
This performative journey consisted of accompanying and listening to some areas of the lower and middle basin of the Magdalena River (Colombia). We started at the Bocas de Ceniza breakwater, where the river flows into the Caribbean Sea, where we met the kite-fishing community. This section of the river suffers from neglect and speculation aimed at transforming it into a port and turning the river into a fluvial highway. Continuing inland through the city of Barranquilla, the river flows through an artificial canal, with many people living on its banks, and it becomes a landfill. From this point to Puerto Berrío, located in the Middle Magdalena, the river suffers from continuous pollution, deforestation, and violence, where bodies of victims of violence are found. Arriving in the town of Aguachica, we spent time with a fishing family in the river's swamps. They shared their way of life, their trade and knowledge, as well as their strategies for the conservation and defense of the river ecosystem, which is threatened by the extraction and exploitation of its natural resources. Throughout the trip, we witnessed traditional songs to the river, where rhythms, prayers, and stories of celebration and violence converge, seeking to preserve the memory and protect the life of the Magdalena River.
