Closing Wounds 

With these pieces I intend to approach art from a designer’s point of view. I have left feasibil- ity aside and focused on creating a sculpture out of a chair, and transforming a table into a work of art.

I have always felt that Colombia is a huge open wound caused by the internal war that we have lived during so many years. As a designer and creative figure I felt the necessity to materialize that wound through an object. This is how I created a symbol, which is meant to create awareness about the opportunity we have to close this wound and turn it into a scar.

I believe that beauty elevates the human spirit; this is why I am always in a continual search for finding it and capturing it through my creations. In this series, beauty praises the closed wound in an act of forgiveness and reconciliation.

To complete my work I performed a poetic act of healing, where a policeman and a guerrilla member closed together the wound, which was depicted in the chair. For the stitching, I gave them rappel cord, which is used by militaries to descend from helicopters to the war field. I used this material with the purpose of paying homage to our armed forces for their sacrifice and dedication. It was an extremely powerful and emotional metaphoric act in which both men (enemies before) worked together for the same purpose: Closing this wound and healing their own. In the end; they spontaneously shook hands and hugged.

William Roa, member of the National Police and Ricardo Suarez, ex guerrilla member intervened the piece.