Alberto Baraya

Born in 1968 in Bogotá, Colombia, Alberto Baraya works with video, sculpture, and installation to create pieces that emulate the practices of the contemporary voyager. Works such as “Fábula de los pájaros”—awarded an honourable mention at the 11th Cuenca Biennial—”Testigos inhábiles, and El río” are rooted in the history of Colombia and serve as critiques of the narrative constructions of nationhood.

His best-known series to date, “Herbario de plantas artificiales” (2009–present), encapsulates many of the concerns central to his practice. Through the repetitive act of documenting fake plants and flowers, the artist addresses issues such as the motivations behind scientific rationality and taxonomic agendas, as well as the processes of mystification and artificiality embedded in 19th-century anthropological expeditions into newly colonised territories.