Reconsideration of the historical events of 1985 Palace of Justice siege in Colombia

Abstract

The subject of this research is the theme of violence in Colombian art as a reflection of political and social conflicts in the country. Political, economic and social problems in the history of Colombia of the XX century are closely intertwined, resulting in a complicated situation of coups d’état and terror, which affects different types of art in the country and representatives of the cultural elite. The conflict that stretches since the early XX century is reflected in the Colombian architecture and painting. It is depicted as rather conservatism and alienation from the constituency in architecture, and from the critical perspective in painting. The projects of the Palace of Justice are taken as an example of the changes in architecture. Trends in the visual arts are revealed in the works of Beatriz Gonzalez and Doris Salcedo. One of the central events in the political and social history of Colombia of the XX century – 1985 Palace of Justice siege – has found a special place in their art. The novelty of this research lies in using the comparative method of analysis. This is the first Russian-language research to draw the parallel between the architectural changes in the projects of the Palace of Justice in Bogota and the impact of the events of November 6 and 7, 1985 upon Colombian painting based on the works of the two remarkable Colombian artists. It is established that different types of art show different response to the political and social disturbances that take place in the country. This is substantiated by differentiation of the political-social order in various types of art.