Conflicto
YEAR
2018
Ongoing
SUPPORTED
Italian Embassy in Bogotá
Feria Barcú
Colombian Ministry of Interior
LOCATIONS
Colombia
Myth of an end
CONFLICTO is a project by Italian artist Filippo Minelli, initiated in 2018 during a residency supported by the Italian Embassy in Bogotá and Feria Barcú. This project utilizes the Colombian post-war landscape as a lens through which to reframe conflict and articulate the complex realities of indigenous, Afro-Colombian, campesino, guerrilla, and security communities.
The project began with an investigation into the landscape of the Colombian conflict, employing a range of methodologies including photographic documentation, 3D scans, interviews, and mediation meetings with communities impacted by the armed conflict. Through this research, Minelli correlates the experiences of these communities with local spiritual practices—particularly the shamanic ayahuasca rituals, known locally as Yagé—which are employed to resolve inner conflicts. In this way, CONFLICTO aims to represent a period of transition, moving from a state of emergency toward the reconstitution of new identities.
The focus of the project is on post-conflict regions, examining sustainable transformations of plantations (e.g., coca to legal crops), spiritual practices for conflict resolution, and the informal preservation of Amazonian heritage—both cultural and environmental. Developed over several months of travel in remote and historically restricted areas of Colombia, the project explores regions that were previously inaccessible due to military operations.
The ongoing research investigates diverse regions such as Putumayo, Caquetá, Amazonas, Nariño, Cauca, Meta, Boyacá, Casanare, Antioquia, Sucre, Bolívar, Atlántico, and Magdalena. The intention is to expand the study to other parts of the country where conflict has shaped local behaviors, traditions, and cultural identities.
Colombia’s history of conflict is deeply rooted in a complex web of historical, social, and economic issues, some of which date back to Spanish colonization. The country’s population is stratified along racial lines, and the exploitation of natural resources—such as gold, emeralds, and oil—has attracted substantial foreign investment. Armed confrontations, fueled by ideological motivations and exacerbated by U.S. intervention, have polarized the political landscape and fragmented the administrative sector. More recently, the drug trade has become a significant point of contention, with various groups exploiting the conflict to legitimize their operations.
While Bogotá serves as the political and administrative center of the nation, it is clear that the country’s vast and varied geography is home to deeply divergent communities. These communities suggest that decentralization could be key to resolving conflicts, challenging the imposition of a unified national identity from the political elite in Bogotá or external powers. The notion of national identity, in this context, may represent an oversimplified or even harmful imposition, often driven by profit motives or political agendas.
The social composition of Colombia is striking in its diversity. As part of CONFLICTO, Minelli arranged visits, interviews, and rituals with numerous groups, including Arhuaco, Kogi, Pasto, Huitoto, and Awá tribes; Afro-Colombian communities in Tumaco and Palenque; former FARC combatants from Putumayo, Meta, and Caquetá; as well as police and military officials, campesinos, livestock breeders, administrators, and politicians across the country.
How does landscape transform when influenced not only by conventional economic and political factors, but also by the degeneration of these systems into a state of perpetual crisis management? What insights can we gain from examining the landscape to better understand the underlying issues in decision-making, planning, and development?
In local cultures, spiritual and inner conflicts are often addressed directly through powerful rituals aimed at confronting truth. Among these, the use of psychoactive plants, such as Yagé (ayahuasca) and its various forms, plays a central role in inducing transformative, revelatory experiences. While Yagé remains the most widely used traditional remedy, distinct tribes employ their own unique methods of divination and self-knowledge, often incorporating specific plants with medicinal and spiritual significance. The knowledge of these plants and their use for divinatory purposes was even passed on to armed groups when indigenous individuals joined the ranks of rebel forces.
Is conflict an inherent aspect of human nature, necessary to restore balance, or is it simply a consequence of misguided policies and impositions? Which facets of conflict are unequivocally detrimental, and which could potentially result in positive outcomes? While the production and trade of drugs to fund the conflict caused severe environmental damage, including massive deforestation and contamination in parts of Colombia, the armed groups, particularly in regions like La Macarena, also played an inadvertent role in preserving the natural environment. By regulating tourism access and preventing large-scale oil extraction, these groups effectively safeguarded pristine ecosystems. Furthermore, revenues generated by these armed strongholds were redirected into infrastructure projects that had been neglected by the central government for over 50 years.
Will conflict truly end with the Havana peace agreement? Armed groups continue to accuse the government of failing to honor the terms of the resolution, and some factions have already returned to the jungle. In this context, which is the greater myth: the supposed end of conflict, or the misguided belief that it can be resolved through the wrong means?
