Juan Manuel Echavarría

Silencios

With the collaboration of Fernando Grisalez

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

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

Related

Testigos de los Silencios

View project