Lo bonito es estar vivo, Mampuján, Bolívar, Colombia
2010
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio Esmeralda, Naranjal, Sucre, Colombia
2016
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio Asmón, Asmón, Sucre, Colombia
2016
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio naranja, Chinulto, Sucre, Colombia
2011
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Testigo gato, Miramar, Bolívar, Colombia
2013
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio atrapado, Bojayá, Chocó, Colombia
2010
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio Caña Fria, Palo Alto, Colombia
2016
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Testigo ternero, Limón, Bolívar, Colombia
2010
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Testigo La Esperanza, La Esperanza, Bolívar, Colombia
2013
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio con grieta, Las Palmas, Bolívar, Colombia
2011
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio Bella Vista, Bella Vista, Caquetá, Colombia
2015
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio muerto, Munguia, Bolívar, Colombia
2011
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio Pita Capacho II, Palo Alto, Sucre, Colombia
2016
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio Bongal, Bolívar, Colombia
2013
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio Puerto Torres, Puerto Torres, Caquetá, Colombia
2015
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Testigo despertador, La Tejera, Bolívar, Colombia
2013
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio olvidado, Las Palmas, Bolívar, Colombia
2011
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio con mapas políticos, Chengue, Sucre, Colombia
2013
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio azul, Kilometro 25, Bolívar, Colombia
2011
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio figuras geométricas, Cañito, Bolívar, Colombia
2012
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio blanco, Chinulito, Sucre, Colombia
2013
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio armado, Bajo Grande, Bolívar, Colombia
2011
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio silencio, Zabaleta, Caquetá, Colombia
2017
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio habitado, Si Te Gusta, Sucre, Colombia
2011
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio dorado, Bongal II, Bolívar, Colombia
2014
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio sacro, La Estrella, Bolívar, Colombia
2017
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio rosado, Si te Gusta, Sucre, Colombia
2011
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio furtivo, Naranjal, Sucre, Colombia
2013
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio El Gallinazo, Colombia
2016
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio Santa Cruz de Mula, Bolívar, Colombia
2014
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio El Algarrobal, El Algarrobal, Sucre, Colombia
2015
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio la Bocana del Fragüita, Caquetá, Colombia
2016
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio suspendido, Los Aceitunos, Bolívar, Colombia
2014
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio sumergido, Sabaneta, Sucre, Colombia
2018
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio Corralito, Bolívar, Colombia
2012
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Silencio la A, La Florida, Caquetá, Colombia
2018
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
La "O", Mampuján, Bolívar, Colombia
2010
101x152 cm / 40x60 in
Digital c-print
Statement
On March 11, 2010, I was invited to the old town of Mampuján, in the district of Los Montes de María, Bolívar, Colombia. The community commemorated the 10th anniversary of their displacement by the paramilitary group “Heroes de los Montes de María” (Heroes of Los Montes de María). In the abandoned Rural School of Mampuján, which had no roof and a floor covered with vegetation, I found a blackboard in one of the classrooms, and on the wall next to it, vowels were drawn. The calligraphy and colors of the letters caught my attention. They seemed to be fleeing from the blackboard: the a, e, i, o, u were legible despite the damp and the abandonment…the “o” was vanishing. In a second classroom, I saw a blackboard hidden in the thick vegetation, faded and in very bad condition. I hesitated to photograph it.
A few days later, while inspecting the image, I discovered that in that silent blackboard an almost invisible sentence appeared: “Lo bonito es estar vivo” (The beautiful thing is to be alive). Those blackboards, in the old town of Mampuján, encouraged me to seek other schools in Los Montes de María, other memories that could be found before fading forever, like that “o” in the school of Mampuján. For over seven years, I, with Fernando Grisalez, have found more than 100 schools that have been abandoned because of Colombia’s ongoing war. We have photographed more than 200 blackboards. The Silencios series also includes the school of Bella Vista in Bojayá, and other schools in Chocó and Caquetá.
The project continues…
—JME
Installation view
Centro Cultural Palatino, Pasto, Nariño, Colombia, 2019
Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia, 2017
Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia, 2012
Galeria Sextante, Bogotá, Colombia, 2011
Galeria Sextante, Bogotá, Colombia, 2011
Silencios en los Montes de María

1. Bayano
2. El Paraíso
3. Caño Limón
4. La Cantera
5. Nuevo Jerusalén
6. Munguia
7. Mampuján
8. Las Brisas
9. Aguas Blancas
10. Santa Catalina
11. Cañito
12. Corralito
13. Mundo Nuevo
14. Santa Fe de Icotea II
15. Santa Fe de Icotea I
16. San José del Playón
17. Gallinazos
18. Las Palmas
19. Bajo Grande I
20. Si Te Gusta
21. Cucal
22. Cayeco
23. Guamanga
24. Bocas de María
25. Buenos Aires
26. Santo Domingo de Meza
27. Santa Cruz de Mula
28. Pita Capacho I
29. Avispas
30. Antonio Nariño
31. Pita Capacho II
32. La Pelona
33. Arroyo Arena
34. Los Negros
35. Algarrobal
36. Caña Fría
37. La Tejera
38. Morena
39. Buenaventura Aguilar
40. Santa Fe
41. La Negra
42. Barcelona
43. Membrillal
44. Rebulicios
45. La Fraternidad
46. La Reforma
47. Hato Nuevo
48. La Unión
49. Mataperros
50. Roma
51. San Rafael
52. Kilometro 25
53. La Florida
54. El Delirio
55. La Estrella
56. Todos No Van
57. La Esperanza
58. Bongal I
59. Palma Sola
60. Capaca
61. Bongal II
62. Lázaro
63. Balaustre
64. Pasacorriendo
65. El Tesoro
66. Chengue
67. Miramar
68. El Páramo
69. El Trigal
70. Madrid
71. El Respaldo
72. Los Aceitunos
73. Matacaballos
74. Cocuelo
75. Cachipay
76. El Cañito
77. Chinulito
78. Arenitas
79. Zapato
80. Las Pajas
81. El Salado
82. El Moral
83. Bajo Grande II
84. La Peña
85. Santa Rosa
86. Santa Rita
87. Chalán
88. La Esmeralda
89. Naranjal I
90. Naranja II
91. Asmón Medio
CHOCÓ
92. Escuela de Bella Vista
CAQUETÁ
93. Escuela de Zabaleta
94. Escuela El Alberto
95. El Luna
96. La Novia II
97. Bellavista
98. Alto Porvenir
99. Puerto Torres
100. Masaya
101. Azabache Medio
102. La Reforma
103. Centro Educativo de Los Andes
CAUCA
104. El Cedro
105. Los Almendros