NADA New York 2024

“Counterlife” depicts a long canoe gliding through the Magdalena River; its passengers are peasants traveling from one shore to another with their donkey and dog. In the foreground, four of Pablo Escobar’s infamous hippopotamuses are lurking on the surface of a “cocaine river” river. They seem to be invisible to the eyes of contemporary society. Yet, some affirm the danger of having these animals stray along the Magdalena River, claiming that they cause deaths among the peasants and multiply rapidly. For others, they are reminders of the consequences and extravagance of the drug trade in Colombia.