‘Voces del Chaco’ exhibition in Bolivia: visibility and self-representation
The exhibition aims to showcase the perspectives of people living in this region of South America with one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world.
Comprised of warm and semi-arid lowlands, the Gran Chaco in today’s Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay is a biodiverse ecosystem with over 3,400 plants and 500 animal species.
The Gran Chaco is also home to an estimated 9 million people, including a high percentage of Indigenous communities (UN, 2022). These communities have been the most affected by the long shadow of colonialism, leading to land dispossession, asymmetrical power relations, and the persistent extraction of natural resources. Climate change has also accelerated forest degradation, posing challenges for governments and local communities.
The exhibition ‘Voces del Chaco‘, organised by the Contemporary Bolivian Arts Trust – CBAT (London) and the Simón I. Patiño Foundation, brings together photographs of the Bolivian Chaco captured by 16 participants. As part of the photography competition ‘Nature, Society, and Climate‘, this special category highlights human perspectives of this important ecology, providing inhabitants with a platform for self-representation. The photographers, both professional and self-taught, represent personal and local visions of living and belonging in the Bolivian Chaco.
The exhibition will be inaugurated in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and will be open from 4 May to 25 May at the Simón I. Patiño Cultural Centre (Calle Independencia #89). It will continue in Cochabamba in July (see map) and in La Paz during October (see map).
Photographers and their messages
Among the photographers of the competition is Vladimir Douglas Fernández Avilés, winner of the ‘Nature, Society, and Climate’ category, who submitted a series of five photographs taken with his mobile phone to represent his father’s hometown, Itaú, in the Tarija Chaco.
The exhibition aims to showcase the perspectives of people living in this region of South America with one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world.
Comprised of warm and semi-arid lowlands, the Gran Chaco in today’s Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay is a biodiverse ecosystem with over 3,400 plants and 500 animal species.
The Gran Chaco is also home to an estimated 9 million people, including a high percentage of Indigenous communities (UN, 2022). These communities have been the most affected by the long shadow of colonialism, leading to land dispossession, asymmetrical power relations, and the persistent extraction of natural resources. Climate change has also accelerated forest degradation, posing challenges for governments and local communities.
The exhibition ‘Voces del Chaco‘, organised by the Contemporary Bolivian Arts Trust – CBAT (London) and the Simón I. Patiño Foundation, brings together photographs of the Bolivian Chaco captured by 16 participants. As part of the photography competition ‘Nature, Society, and Climate‘, this special category highlights human perspectives of this important ecology, providing inhabitants with a platform for self-representation. The photographers, both professional and self-taught, represent personal and local visions of living and belonging in the Bolivian Chaco.
The exhibition will be inaugurated in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and will be open from 4 May to 25 May at the Simón I. Patiño Cultural Centre (Calle Independencia #89). It will continue in Cochabamba in July (see map) and in La Paz during October (see map).
Photographers and their messages
Among the photographers of the competition is Vladimir Douglas Fernández Avilés, winner of the ‘Nature, Society, and Climate’ category, who submitted a series of five photographs taken with his mobile phone to represent his father’s hometown, Itaú, in the Tarija Chaco.
“Through my photography I would like to make known my father’s village, which I also consider my own. I would like people both nationally and internationally to get to know his people, his customs, his way of life. I would like to promote tourism in the area, so that it has more recognition and its population can have a better quality of life, since it does not have an adequate road to get there, it lacks basic services and an adequate distribution of resources”.
The jury underscored Fernández’s creative use of colour and framing to highlight the region through a wealth of tones and contrasts. The photographer’s careful consideration for compositional arrangement to depict landscapes and family genre scenes convey a compelling sense of intimacy for the viewer of everyday life in the Bolivian Chaco. As winner of the competition, Fernández will be supported by SDCELAR to collaborate on a transnational project on the Bolivian Chaco, which will involve researching objects from the British Museum’s collection and documenting local narratives in Itaú, Tarija.
This exhibition will showcase the images taken by Fernández, alongside photographs of other participants, each who have used the lens as a vehicle to visibilise their communities and the joys and difficulties of living in the Bolivian Chaco.
Below are some of the photographs, with translated descriptions by the participants.
“Through my photography I would like to make known my father’s village, which I also consider my own. I would like people both nationally and internationally to get to know his people, his customs, his way of life. I would like to promote tourism in the area, so that it has more recognition and its population can have a better quality of life, since it does not have an adequate road to get there, it lacks basic services and an adequate distribution of resources”.
The jury underscored Fernández’s creative use of colour and framing to highlight the region through a wealth of tones and contrasts. The photographer’s careful consideration for compositional arrangement to depict landscapes and family genre scenes convey a compelling sense of intimacy for the viewer of everyday life in the Bolivian Chaco. As winner of the competition, Fernández will be supported by SDCELAR to collaborate on a transnational project on the Bolivian Chaco, which will involve researching objects from the British Museum’s collection and documenting local narratives in Itaú, Tarija.
This exhibition will showcase the images taken by Fernández, alongside photographs of other participants, each who have used the lens as a vehicle to visibilise their communities and the joys and difficulties of living in the Bolivian Chaco.
Below are some of the photographs, with translated descriptions by the participants.
Claribel Villarroel Irala (biologist). Chuquisaca
The artisans of Tentayapi
“With my photography I try to show that the Chaco is a territory of various identities and above all of various landscapes that deserve an opportunity to see them through eyes other than those of oil exploitation or cattle ranching. My photos reflect a small identity of how I see each of the five protected areas I mention. In this photo I show the artisans of Tentayapi, the Guaraní community declared as Cultural Heritage of Bolivia and UNESCO has declared their territory as a municipal protected area called Serranía de Iguembe which has been resisting oil exploitation for years”.
Claribel Villarroel Irala (biologist). Chuquisaca
The artisans of Tentayapi
“With my photography I try to show that the Chaco is a territory of various identities and above all of various landscapes that deserve an opportunity to see them through eyes other than those of oil exploitation or cattle ranching. My photos reflect a small identity of how I see each of the five protected areas I mention. In this photo I show the artisans of Tentayapi, the Guaraní community declared as Cultural Heritage of Bolivia and UNESCO has declared their territory as a municipal protected area called Serranía de Iguembe which has been resisting oil exploitation for years”.
Alcira Canuto Segundo (Guaraní artisan). Tarija
Riada – Centro productivo Comunidad Mokomokal- Effects of climate change
“The food security of the Guaraní people depends on maize, fishing and handicrafts. Years ago the climate was beautiful, it rained at the right time and we planted maize, our Pilcomayo river had many big fish, but when the companies came to our territory, the climate changed, it no longer rains, the river is polluted, diseases appear, drought is recurrent, the land is gradually eroding.
Recently there was a flood in our area, we are living in a vulnerable situation, a crisis is coming for the Guaraní family, the only alternative we have is our palm handicraft, the only source of minimum income to support our family and send our children to school”.
Alcira Canuto Segundo (Guaraní artisan). Tarija
Riada – Centro productivo Comunidad Mokomokal- Effects of climate change
“The food security of the Guaraní people depends on maize, fishing and handicrafts. Years ago the climate was beautiful, it rained at the right time and we planted maize, our Pilcomayo river had many big fish, but when the companies came to our territory, the climate changed, it no longer rains, the river is polluted, diseases appear, drought is recurrent, the land is gradually eroding.
Recently there was a flood in our area, we are living in a vulnerable situation, a crisis is coming for the Guaraní family, the only alternative we have is our palm handicraft, the only source of minimum income to support our family and send our children to school”.
Alex Pancho Rojas and Lidia Isabel Guarayo (Indigenous School of Journalism, Charagua), Santa Cruz
The harvest is lost. Effect of climate change (drought) on agriculture.
Alex Pancho Rojas and Lidia Isabel Guarayo (Indigenous School of Journalism, Charagua), Santa Cruz
The harvest is lost. Effect of climate change (drought) on agriculture.
Artecampo Museum Collective (Association of weavers “Sumbi Regua”), Isoso, Santa Cruz
Native cotton
“The ‘Sumbi Regua’ weavers are currently the bearers and transmitters of Isoso textiles, a living language of Guaraní culture, which is currently under serious threat due to the drought affecting the cultivation of native cotton.
Through textile art, the Sumbi Regua women connect with the cosmovision of their ancestors. To this day, their dreams are a determining element when weaving and the representations of the natural elements of their environment, such as maize, are part of the weavings made with the Moɨsɨ tecnique“
Artecampo Museum Collective (Association of weavers “Sumbi Regua”), Isoso, Santa Cruz
Native cotton
“The ‘Sumbi Regua’ weavers are currently the bearers and transmitters of Isoso textiles, a living language of Guaraní culture, which is currently under serious threat due to the drought affecting the cultivation of native cotton.
Through textile art, the Sumbi Regua women connect with the cosmovision of their ancestors. To this day, their dreams are a determining element when weaving and the representations of the natural elements of their environment, such as maize, are part of the weavings made with the Moɨsɨ tecnique“
Cesar Augusto Pizarro (Amateur ornithologist), Tarija
“The contamination of our water sources that leads to the damage of our flora, fauna and especially birdlife.”
Cesar Augusto Pizarro (Amateur ornithologist), Tarija
“The contamination of our water sources that leads to the damage of our flora, fauna and especially birdlife.”
Eliamne Karenina Gutiérrez (Biologist) Charagua, Santa Cruz
Guandare’s accidental watchman
“Arid and wild
Of hot afternoons
Of cold mysterious nights
Of stories, of legends
Of cultures and offerings.
I am an inhabitant of the Chaco
Neither sedentary nor wanderer
In a determining ecosystem
I am much more than a watchman”.
Eliamne Karenina Gutiérrez (Biologist) Charagua, Santa Cruz
Guandare’s accidental watchman
“Arid and wild
Of hot afternoons
Of cold mysterious nights
Of stories, of legends
Of cultures and offerings.
I am an inhabitant of the Chaco
Neither sedentary nor wanderer
In a determining ecosystem
I am much more than a watchman”.
Erico Segovia Castillo (photographer), Villa Montes, Tarija
The Sábalo, emblem of all Chaco cultures
“In this photograph, the native and creole peoples of the Chaco (Guaraní, Chaco and Weenhayek) are represented, showing the emblematic of our region, the sábalo, the richest fish in the country in the sands of the Pilcomayo river, made in the traditional way of the Weenhayek culture, today declared regional heritage. In the background we can see two fishing boats fishing with a pollera, one of the ways of fishing. The image includes the Creole culture drinking mate, a custom of all the peoples of this region, and the Guaraní culture with its bright colours admiring our regional food”.
Erico Segovia Castillo (photographer), Villa Montes, Tarija
The Sábalo, emblem of all Chaco cultures
“In this photograph, the native and creole peoples of the Chaco (Guaraní, Chaco and Weenhayek) are represented, showing the emblematic of our region, the sábalo, the richest fish in the country in the sands of the Pilcomayo river, made in the traditional way of the Weenhayek culture, today declared regional heritage. In the background we can see two fishing boats fishing with a pollera, one of the ways of fishing. The image includes the Creole culture drinking mate, a custom of all the peoples of this region, and the Guaraní culture with its bright colours admiring our regional food”.
Iván Arnold, Tarija
A girl in search of water in the Tarija Chaco region
“In the Gran Chaco the whole family helps to provide for the daily sustenance, getting water is a very important task in a region where drought is an almost constant feature”.
Iván Arnold, Tarija
A girl in search of water in the Tarija Chaco region
“In the Gran Chaco the whole family helps to provide for the daily sustenance, getting water is a very important task in a region where drought is an almost constant feature”.
Karina Segovia
Plenty of containers in Charagua
“Red and light blue, white and orange, transparent and dark: plastic containers are everywhere in the rural communities of Charagua and also in some of the city’s neighbourhoods. Many, most of them, are empty, ready to be filled when water comes out of the tap, or when the tanker trucks appear on the horizon with the liquid that is waiting to be delivered” (Text by Roberto Navia).
Karina Segovia
Plenty of containers in Charagua
“Red and light blue, white and orange, transparent and dark: plastic containers are everywhere in the rural communities of Charagua and also in some of the city’s neighbourhoods. Many, most of them, are empty, ready to be filled when water comes out of the tap, or when the tanker trucks appear on the horizon with the liquid that is waiting to be delivered” (Text by Roberto Navia).
Luis Poggi Montalvo
Big party or Arete Guazú
“The voices of the Chaco are reflected through its customs and traditions. The Guaraní/Chaco culture took root in this region and made these lands its territory.
The big party or Arete Guazú is the maximum cultural expression of this native people, where the sharing of a tutuma of chicha is synonymous of gratitude to the Tumpa (God) for the corn harvest. At the sound of the box, the drum, the flute, everyone gathers in the middle of the courtyard, holding hands and dancing to the sound of music, a typical Guaraní dance. Tentayape, which in their language means ‘the last house’, holds the remains of a culture that will probably continue to exist in the future”
Luis Poggi Montalvo
Big party or Arete Guazú
“The voices of the Chaco are reflected through its customs and traditions. The Guaraní/Chaco culture took root in this region and made these lands its territory.
The big party or Arete Guazú is the maximum cultural expression of this native people, where the sharing of a tutuma of chicha is synonymous of gratitude to the Tumpa (God) for the corn harvest. At the sound of the box, the drum, the flute, everyone gathers in the middle of the courtyard, holding hands and dancing to the sound of music, a typical Guaraní dance. Tentayape, which in their language means ‘the last house’, holds the remains of a culture that will probably continue to exist in the future”
Mauricio Vera Sansuste
Grandmothers and MAÍZ chicha in the community of Itanambicua
“The ‘avati’ maize as the cultural basis of the Guaraní people and soil stabiliser by use and custom in the Chaco, threatened by the entry of illegal transgenic maize. The photo shows grandmothers and MAÍZ chicha in the community of Itanambicua, in the Chaco Cruceño, during the Arete Guazú. When chicha is made with GM maize, the oil does not come out, that oil is the one that gives strength, it is the same oil that our grandparents drank, it is the one that gives life to our people, that oil does not have the GMO,’ comment the Arakuaiyas (wise grandmothers)”.
Mauricio Vera Sansuste
Grandmothers and MAÍZ chicha in the community of Itanambicua
“The ‘avati’ maize as the cultural basis of the Guaraní people and soil stabiliser by use and custom in the Chaco, threatened by the entry of illegal transgenic maize. The photo shows grandmothers and MAÍZ chicha in the community of Itanambicua, in the Chaco Cruceño, during the Arete Guazú. When chicha is made with GM maize, the oil does not come out, that oil is the one that gives strength, it is the same oil that our grandparents drank, it is the one that gives life to our people, that oil does not have the GMO,’ comment the Arakuaiyas (wise grandmothers)”.
Aldo Cuellar
Atajado affected by drought
“Effect of the drought on an atajado. An atajado or water trough that retains rainwater but does not last long in the chaco and due to lack of rain soon dries up; we often have to share this water with the animals”.
Aldo Cuellar
Atajado affected by drought
“Effect of the drought on an atajado. An atajado or water trough that retains rainwater but does not last long in the chaco and due to lack of rain soon dries up; we often have to share this water with the animals”.
Heriberto Paredes Guiramusay
Girls from a traditional Chaco community attending school
Heriberto Paredes Guiramusay
Girls from a traditional Chaco community attending school
Roberto Navia (journalist)
“The Mennonites’ ‘clandestine’ bridge brings deforestation to the Bañados de Isoso and threatens the Kaa Iya National Park. Santa Cruz”
Roberto Navia (journalist)
“The Mennonites’ ‘clandestine’ bridge brings deforestation to the Bañados de Isoso and threatens the Kaa Iya National Park. Santa Cruz”
Publications related to women’s and maternal health with Wixárika communities by the author of this exhibition
Gamlin, Jennie B. (2013)
Shame as a barrier to health seeking among indigenous Huichol migrant labourers: An interpretive approach of the “violence continuum” and “authoritative knowledge”
Social Science and Medicine 97 75-81
Gamlin, Jennie B. (2023)
Wixárika Practices of Medical Syncretism: An Ontological Proposal for Health in the Anthropocene
Medical Anthropology Theory 10 (2) 1-26
Gamlin, Jennie B. (2020)
“You see, we women, we can’t talk, we can’t have an opinion…”. The coloniality of gender and childbirth practices in Indigenous Wixárika families
Social Science and Medicine 252, 112912
Jennie Gamlin and David Osrin (2020)
Preventable infant deaths, lone births and lack of registration in Mexican indigenous communities: health care services and the afterlife of colonialism
Ethnicity and Health 25 (7)
Jennie Gamlin and Seth Holmes (2018)
Preventable perinatal deaths in indigenous Wixárika communities: an ethnographic study of pregnancy, childbirth and structural violence BMC
Pregnancy and Childbirth 18 (Article number 243) 2018
Gamlin, Jennie B. and Sarah J Hawkes (2015)
Pregnancy and birth in an Indigenous Huichol community: from structural violence to structural policy responses
Culture, health and sexuality 17 (1)
