Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
José Alejandro Restrepo’s Paso del Quindio II was purchased for Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea through the Contemporary Art Society’s Acquisitions Scheme for 2008-2009.
In 2007 Displaced, Contemporary Art from Colombia, was curated and presented at Glynn Vivian Art Gallery. Alongside other outstanding works, José Alejandro Restrepo’s Paso del Quindio II was pivotal, both for the power of its post-colonial position and its engagement with the politics of cultural identity.
Including this work in the collection enables a long-lasting record of the synergy which the exhibitions programme has established in relation to local and global issues. This video work uses archive footage which documents the last surviving carguero (human carrier) who, like many generations before him, carries passengers on his back through difficult terrain. Restrepo’s work considers the complex power relations this act of carrying signifies.
With thanks to Valenzuela klenner Galería.