Fall 2019: Angela-Maria Martinez

Thanks to the support from the Art and Art History Department, I was able to travel to Bogota, Colombia in order to conduct research for my senior art project. I visited several art museums, some of them contemporary and others that related to the role of fine arts in Colombian history. This opportunity allowed me to inform myself not only of art’s role in Colombia’s history, but also of the details of my own heritage. 

One of my favorite museum spaces featured an artist who worked directly with female victims of sexual assault to melt hundreds of firearms into the tiles that formed the floor of the exhibition space. I found the concept and execution of this project to be my favorite because it allowed me to see the way in which contemporary art was used to influence the lives of real people. By allowing the victims to reshape the weapons of their attackers, they were given an opportunity to voice their experiences and to participate in a therapeutic process of healing. Furthermore, this project also responded to the political situation in Colombia and served as an unforgettable example of art's power to move people beyond words. 

Overall, my trip to Bogota was a memorable and informative experience that was made possible by the financial aid I received from the Art and Art History Department, to whom I feel extremely grateful.