Colombian artist Delcy Morelos fondly recalls her hometown of Tierralta as “a paradise full of butterflies and unpaved streets.” During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Morelos spent her formative years in her grandmother’s garden, exploring the land barefoot and learning the essence of living in harmony with nature. However, the arrival of paramilitary and guerrilla forces disrupted the region, bringing with it a wave of grief and fear.
In her initial artistic endeavors, Morelos captured the devastation affecting her homeland through two-dimensional works. As she explains in a new Art21 segment, acrylic painting soon gave way to her true passion—returning to the earth by incorporating soil, straw, and grass into expansive installations. The film documents Morelos as she creates a sepulchral mound at Seville’s Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo, a site that once served as a Carthusian monastery and temporarily housed Christopher Columbus’ remains.
In the film, viewers see Morelos working with straw-laden soil to form a standing structure that eventually supports various produce native to both sides of the Atlantic. This work contrasts with the colonial history of the space, offering a vision of creation and life intertwined with natural rhythms. Visitors encounter scents of cinnamon, cloves, and rich soil as they navigate through towering growths, connecting them to the sacredness beneath their feet.
Morelos comments, “Many people believe they are in a bubble, and that is why they can do things that harm nature, harm others, and also harm themselves,” emphasizing her deep care for life and nature.
This feature is part of Art21’s Human Nature episode, available to view on their website. Additional films can be found on YouTube.
