Andrés Marroquín Winkelmann - Colectivo →
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American cars from the 1970’s have been celebrated for their connotations to freedom and revolution and - together with the guitar – they are embedded in our minds as one of the most iconic symbols of Western culture.
In some regions of Peru and in many other Latin-American countries, these cars have been given a completely different role. Given the abundance of space they offer they are regularly used for the illegal distribution and transportation of a vast selection of goods, ranging from fresh fish to undeclared gasoline.
For the most part, they are used as unofficial means of public transportation, though. They travel through villages and towns where most buses prefer not to stop. Inside, the private becomes public. Once the vehicle is full of fares, they travel long distances which, after given the cars’ maximum speed, seem even longer.
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Colectivo doesn’t deal with these cars’ history, nor with that of their passengers. It is important to consider this cultural adaptation as their own interpretation of modernity rather than a failure or misunderstanding of it. My work focuses on interaction and behavior, I’m interested in the ability of sense, understand and react to others emotions while comprehending social environments. These isolated cars are presented as a symbol in order to understand the relationship between culture and modernity in various regions in South America.
This is an extract from ‘Colectivo’, the ongoing project by Andrés Marroquín Winkelmann. The series will be shown at the Robert Morat gallery in Berlin this year.
All images courtesy @ Andrés Marroquín Winkelmann
