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'Long wait of the mourning women', by Group Artesanías (Crafts) Choibá and Ursula Holzapfel, Life, Justice and Peace Committee, Quibdó diocese.
(Photo: Michael Paetau)

The group Artesanías Choibá consists of women who are relatives of the victims of the armed conflict in Colombia, who sought refuge in the Coliseum de Quibdó after the violent massive displacement of Afro-Colombian communities in the Department of Chocó by paramilitary and military troops in 1996/97. Here, the women of this victim’s movement are depicted in front of the cathedral of Quibdó where they have been gathering at the end of each month for a number of years. Bearing signs with the names of their assassinated and disappeared relatives they publicly highlight and denounce these actions, the displacement of whole communities and the unfair treatment of the victims’ families. The child dolls symbolise that a generation of children is now orphaned, abandoned and forgotten.

The victims’ relatives believe that history can only be prevented from repeating itself if it is understood well, and feel a burning obligation through this, their second installation: “to tell our children and grandchildren … what happened.” Their first installation, created at Christmas 2012, narrates their struggle and long wait through the Nativity scene. “We not only show what happened, but also visualise how as mothers, companions and partners we disagree with the abuse we receive. Therefore we are ‘in mourning’ and we keep the memory alive.”

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