Once we develop a conceptual theme for a program and complete fieldwork research, we design the layout for the presentations within the physical and regulatory parameters of the National Mall.
The idea of a “journey” through the featured ecosystems inspired the layout for the Colombia program. The visitors could then experience “the nature of culture,” that is, how culture is shaped by natural conditions, as they travelled through Colombia while meeting the artists in their distinct environments.
Construction Process
Selection of guadua bamboo for the Colombia: The Nature of Culture program structures.
Photo by Simón Hosie Samper
Colombian construction team plans the placement and installation of hardware joints for the guadua structures.
Photo by Simón Hosie Samper
Colombian guadua specialists Miyer Delgado and Hugo Pomeis attach hardware to a piece of guadua bamboo.
Photo by Simón Hosie Samper
Colombian construction team builds a prototype of a guadua tent structure, or hojamanta.
Photo by Simón Hosie Samper
Colombian construction team begins assembling the hojamantas or guadua tents on the National Mall.
Photo courtesy Embassy of Colombia in Washington, D.C.
Yair Castro and Camilo González Ramírez install the canopy of an hojamanta, or guadua tent.
Photo by Cristina Díaz-Carrera, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
The Colombian construction team begins assembling the Progressive Structure.
Photo courtesy Embassy of Colombia in Washington, D.C.
The Colombian construction team works towards completing the Progressive Structure.
Photo courtesy Embassy of Colombia in Washington, D.C.
A view of the completed hojamantas, or guadua tents, with their interiors fully decorated.
Photo courtesy Embassy of Colombia in Washington, D.C.
The completed Progressive Structure for the Colombia: The Nature of Culture program.
Photo courtesy Embassy of Colombia in Washington, D.C.
The “Progressive Structure” erected in the middle of the Mall symbolized life in the The Metropolitan Cities. Separate stages and display/workshop areas featured music, dance, foodways, material culture, and narrative presentations. In the display/workshop areas, different ecosystems were delineated by large signs with images of the distinctive landscapes and traditions practiced there. A topographical map, approximately 8.5 by 11.5 feet, complemented the “journey.”
This site design provided spaces for demonstrations as well as informal settings for interaction among artists and with the public. For example at the “Tienda Paisa,” which evoked a country store in the coffee triangle, musicians would convene for informal jam sessions, to rest and socialize; and they would invite visitors to join them in games, such as top spinning.
The visitors’ path through the Festival site took them on a journey from the highlands into the lowlands as they followed the snake-like trail. Click to view PDF.
Signage in Context
Colorful signage in combination with relevant display material helped define program areas for the Colombia program.
Photo by Marjorie Hunt
Colorful signage in combination with relevant display material helped define program areas for the Colombia program.
Photo by Marjorie Hunt
Colorful signage in combination with relevant display material helped define program areas for the Colombia program.
Photo by Marjorie Hunt
Colorful signage in combination with relevant display material helped define program areas for the Colombia program.
Photo by Marjorie Hunt
Colorful signage in combination with relevant display material helped define program areas for the Colombia program.
Photo by Marjorie Hunt
Colorful signage in combination with relevant display material helped define program areas for the Colombia program.
Photo by Marjorie Hunt
Colorful signage in combination with relevant display material helped define program areas for the Colombia program.
Photo by Marjorie Hunt
Making the Map
In Bogotá, a group of artists fabricates a three-dimensional topographical map of Colombia.
Photo courtesy of Rodríguez Valencia Arquitectos
In Bogotá, a group of artists fabricates a three-dimensional topographical map of Colombia.
Photo courtesy of Rodríguez Valencia Arquitectos
In Bogotá, a group of artists fabricates a three-dimensional topographical map of Colombia.
Photo courtesy of Rodríguez Valencia Arquitectos
In Bogotá, a group of artists fabricates a three-dimensional topographical map of Colombia.
Photo courtesy of Rodríguez Valencia Arquitectos
In Bogotá, a group of artists fabricates a three-dimensional topographical map of Colombia.
Photo courtesy of Rodríguez Valencia Arquitectos
In Bogotá, a group of artists fabricates a three-dimensional topographical map of Colombia.
Photo courtesy of Rodríguez Valencia Arquitectos
In Bogotá, a group of artists fabricates a three-dimensional topographical map of Colombia.
Photo courtesy of Rodríguez Valencia Arquitectos
In Bogotá, a group of artists fabricates a three-dimensional topographical map of Colombia.
Photo courtesy of Rodríguez Valencia Arquitectos
In Bogotá, a group of artists fabricates a three-dimensional topographical map of Colombia.
Photo courtesy of Rodríguez Valencia Arquitectos
Carlos Eduardo Rojas Cortes assembles the large topographical map of Colombia on the Mall.
Photo by Cristina Díaz-Carrera, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
Carlos Eduardo Rojas Cortes assembles the large topographical map of Colombia on the Mall.
Photo by Cristina Díaz-Carrera, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution
