SHELTER FT. SISA ARANGO
iSaAc Espinoza Hidrobo & Roman Jungblut
Tue 5 December, 4—9 p.m.

 

On the 5th of December, iSaAc Espinoza Hidrobo and Roman Jungblut materialize their ongoing artistic research project for a day, this time as a performative installation titled "Shelter ft Sisa Arango" — as an invitation to foster a performative discourse with the work “Landscape painting” (2021—ongoing) of Ines Doujak at the Temporary Gallery in Cologne, an installation of seeds, soils, clay, books, containers and pumpkins. Doujak's artistic oeuvre prominently features a constellation of resilient female figures: rebellious women, land defenders, and influential female catalysts, pivotal in global revolutionary movements. Among these figures, Dolores Cacuango Quilo, a Kichwa leader, notably gave her life for indigenous and farmers' rights in Ecuador. She stands emblematic as one of the "seeds" curated by Ines Doujak and is integral to the research undertaken by Isaac & Roman.

Despite Dolores Cacuango's lack of formal education, her significant contribution to establishing the initial bilingual indigenous schools is unequivocal. Recognizing the plight of indigenous children in educational settings, she initiated bilingual education, proficiently instructing in both Spanish and Kichwa languages.

In conjunction with this exhibit, the duo collaborates with Sisa Sarango, a young activist, farmer, and Kichwa educator, who will provide live discourse via internet connection from the Andes in Ecuador. Her presence aims to accentuate the contemporary relevance of indigenous resistance within her local community.

Sisa, iSaAc and Roman extend an invitation to gallery visitors to immerse themselves in this as a collective experience, revitalizing Dolores's essence and commemorating her legacy by actively engaging with her narrative and the voices of her descendants.

“We are like the straw from the fells of the Andes, while you pull it out, it grows again. And with the straw from the fells we shall cover the world…”

'Shelter', inspired by the Andes Mountains, is a hybrid place that harmonizes tangible and imaginary elements, converging to host diverse modes of knowledge exchange and manifestations across temporal dimensions and geographies. It stands as a locus where the collective embodiment experience, serving as the fundamental mode of communication, engenders the revitalization of communities marginalized or expunged from historical narratives, thereby aiding the understanding our urgencies for resistance and affection.

Sisa Arango, a dedicated advocate for linguistic rights within her community, serves as both a mother and a committed volunteer activist. She is notably recognized for her proficiency as an educator in Kichwa language and Andean agricultural studies. Arango's academic pursuits primarily focus on investigating strategies for linguistic revitalization, specializing particularly in the pedagogy of second language acquisition among adult learners.
Following an extensive survey and critical analysis of pedagogical approaches utilized in Ecuador, she established a Kichwa language learning center. This initiative aims to train aspiring educators, disseminate educational seminars directed at mothers seeking to instruct their children, and support individuals engaged in the enriching journey of learning the Kichwa language.

To support Sisa’s educational and comunitary projects check the link below.
https://linktr.ee/SisaAnrango
https://www.instagram.com/sisanku_kichwa/
Instagram: @sisanku_kichwa

iSaAc Espinoza Hidrobo is an Ecuadorian performerx, choreographer and violinist based in Cologne. Her works deal with transdisciplinary constellations and experimental quests of real- time composition, decoloniality, anticolonialism, queerness and ritualism empowering local activism. She is the artistic director and funder of the "maiskind" community in Cologne. Her Solo and collaborative works have been featured in prestigious locations throughout Europe & the Abya-Yala - Americas.
Instagram: @iSaAcEspinozaHidrobo

Roman Jungblut is a sound and media artist working mainly in Cologne. They has been realising media art and spatial installations - partly in public spaces - as well as compositions for film, multimedia and stage productions. In their own works, Roman likes to provide room for other artists and focuses on themes such as identity and technology, as well as social, cultural and personal fears and tensions. In addition to a strong engagement at the Ebertplatz in Cologne, they are actively involved in other community-oriented associations and projects, such as the Kulturhof Kalk, GENAU e.V. or Computerclub 2000.
Instagram: @RomanJungblut