Ravaged Beauty

November 4, 2018

The exhibition ‘Colombia – On the Brink of Paradise’ by Luca Zanetti continues at the BelleVue gallery in Basel until 2 December 2018.
From 4 November 2018, the BelleVue – Ort für Fotografie in Basel, Switzerland, presents the series ‘Colombia – On the Brink of Paradise’ by Luca Zanetti. The exhibition continues until 2 December 2018.

For the past twenty years, Swiss photographer Luca Zanetti has repeatedly explored different parts of Columbia – including Boyacá, one of the world’s primary emerald mining sites. In the course of his travels, Zanetti discovered a country that is marked not only by its incredible natural beauty and rich cultural heritage, but also by violence, drug trafficking and civil war.

Zanetti’s photographs depict the everyday lives of peasant farmers, Llanero cowboys and indigenous communities, set within the stunning scenery of an abundant natural environment. However, this apparent paradise is overshadowed by poverty and violence: armed conflicts between the Colombian army, paramilitary forces and guerrilla groups, along with the War on Drugs and a lack of functional state authority structures profoundly impact people’s lives on a daily basis.

The images presented in the showcase ‘Colombia – On the Brink of Paradise’ were created over a period of almost twenty years. The photographer’s book of the same title was published by Scheidegger & Spiess in 2018.

For further information visit
BelleVue – Ort für Fotografie
Luca Zanetti
Scheidegger & Spiess
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Ravaged Beauty