Carolina Caycedo
2014
Support for "Be Dammed", an art/activism project about the effects of dam construction on the natural and social landscapes of the Americas.
Most of my projects allow for an interaction between people from different backgrounds and generate channels for discussion and collaboration between participants. I usually transfer the resources I receive from the art circuit, sharing a joint responsibility with collaborators in creating and developing the contents, direction, and meaning of the work. Recent collaborative initiatives focus on developing strategies that converge social art practices and environmental justice. My present research, Be Dammed, inquires into the effects that large dams have on natural and social landscapes in several American bio-regions. The investigation exposes the correlation between mechanisms of social control and the unethical aspects of development infrastructures. In Be Dammed, aerial and satellite imagery, geo-choreographies, and audio-visual essays intersect social bodies with bodies of water, exploring public space in rural contexts and conjuring water as a common good.