José Ballivián is an artist who, through drawings and videos, immerses himself in the Andean worldview, his Aymara roots, and the spirituality of the Yatiris along the shores of Lake Titicaca. The artist observes the guardian hills, sacred huacas, and the urban Aymara resistance on the outskirts of El Alto and La Paz, all within the context of globalization.
Commissioned by the 14th Mercosul Biennial, Ballivián presents two works from the Fe y otros relatos series. One is a 3D video whose narrative is structured around the actions and agency of the characters: Santa Awicha (an elderly woman), Santa Imilla (a young woman), and a masked trumpeter from the bandas de pueblos. These figures appear in two settings: the altiplano and the city. In the first, faith and offerings to Pachamama are reinforced, while the second setting explores hybridity and colonization. The other work in the series consists of drawings depicting the circularity of the wuaca wuaca dance and its rituals, as well as the spiral of past and present among urban Aymaras—such as cholas, cholos, choles, and birlochas.
Oendu de Mendonça
José Ballivián (Bolivia, 1975) studied at the National Academy of Fine Arts “Hernando Siles” in La Paz, Bolivia. His production is based on themes ranging from the popular to the marginal and the hybrid, represented in multiple forms such as drawing, sculpture, installation, performance, and videos. He participated in projects at institutions such as the 57th Venice Biennale, Bienalsur, the Museum of Contemporary Art of Argentina, and the National Museum of Art of Bolivia, among others. He lives in La Paz, Bolivia.
