Ecuador's Bienal de Cuenca marks 40th anniversary with a playful theme but a serious tone

As political tensions subsided, the biennial opened with a ceremony that underscored the event’s commitment to Indigenous knowledge and spiritual reflection. The Chacruna offering, an Andean ritual honouring Pachamama (Mother Earth), was led by the Ecuadorian artist and curandera (medicine woman) Carmen Vicente. Her installation, curated by Amy Rosenblum Martín, won this year’s acquisition prize.

Vicente’s Infinite Steps is a deeply personal installation that confronts the devastation wrought by Covid-19 in Ecuador, one of the earliest epicentres of the pandemic in Latin America. The solemn work is comprised of walking sticks mounted on stone bases, each anchored by a single shoe. The handles are wrapped with multicoloured, doll-like figurines affixed to metal spoons, forming a silent procession of human figures.

“I started with a few pairs of shoes that were given to me by four family members who died during the pandemic,” Vicente tells The Art Newspaper. “And from there, more started to join in.” With Indigenous communities facing nearly four times the excess death rate of the general population during the pandemic, the artist transformed private mourning into a collective memorial.

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