For this work, Restrepo, a pioneer of Latin American video art, reconstructed the German naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt’s 1801 journey through the northern Andes. Restrepo’s video-sculpture shows footage of his own ascent, by foot, of the mythical Quindío Pass, known for its technical climbing difficulty and its strategic importance in the region’s political history. Each step of Restrepo’s pyramid corresponds to an altitude, from 2,600 to 11,500 feet, leading up to the summit. By reconstructing Humboldt’s path, the artist confronts the notion of “discovery” that historically defined representations of the American landscape, adding, in his words, “another layer in the back-and-forth of interpretations and subjectivities around the representation of place.”
Gallery label from Chosen Memories, April 30–September 9, 2023
