The Fish Dies By Its Mouth / El pez muere por la boca
The Fish Dies By Its Mouth / El pez muere por la boca reflects on the resilience and resistance of peoples in contexts of drug trafficking and fishing. The beach line connects the sea (or river) with the continent (or mainland) where amphibious communities inhabit with long traditions of music, dance, hairstyles, games, and celebration. Also of agriculture, gastronomy, tourism, whale watching, and nature. This peace is permeated by paramilitary presence, violence, and drug trafficking.
Drug traffickers need access to the coast to get their product out to sea. During these trips in speedboats, they are intercepted by the Colombian Navy or naval force, and their way of escaping is to drop the cargo to make the boat lighter. Fishermen occasionally find packages that can mean a year’s income or one-week rumbas. Some succumb to this pressure; others stand firm in the face of the onslaught of illegality.
It is a participatory and intervention project in which the community is an active part in the creation of the images. The contrasts between traditions (peaceful states) and armed pressure (paramilitary and drug trafficking groups) are expressed in different actions, landscapes, bodies, and objects. Everyday life intermingles with the construction of the scenes.
Find out more:
Instagram: @escobart and @elpez_muereporlaboca
