Humanitarian Aid for the First World, 2015

Colectivo Cambalache - Bogota, Colombia

Social Sculpture

Humanitarian assistance is embedded in paternalistic relationships that replicate interactions between the colonizer and colonized subjects. Crises are used by authorities in power to distract and frighten people so that unpopular and exploitative policies can be pushed through. We face a triple threat of the "e"crises - in the economy, environment and energy.

With the desire to overturn the concept and practice of humanitarian aid and offer a southern perspective on "disaster capitalism," Colectivo Cambalache adds another "e" to this list of crises – the ethics crises. They believe that while economy, environment and energy crises are mostly felt in communities of the global south; the ethics crisis is suffered by the poor rich of the north, where consumerism, isolation, apathy, depression, lack of spiritual grounding and egocentrism are on the rise.

As a way to offer aid to this true humanitarian crisis of the north, Colectivo Cambalache invites you to a night of humanitarian bartering.

It's easy and free to participate: bring a special object that is handmade or has spiritual value to you and exchange it for a handmade object rich in solidarity, created especially for this occasion by coops and collectives located in Western Sahara refugee camps (Argel) and Huila, Colombia.

The Colombian artist collective Colectivo Cambalache consists of Carolina Caycedo, Adriana García Galán, Alonso Gil and Federico Guzmán, who met at the University of Bogotá in 1997. Since that time they have developed projects together to foster social interaction among the city’s inhabitants and to remove social barriers. 

9

Queen's Park

This project is outdoors.