"Delito y Ornamento", 2019  
Video Installation 

The rise of the drug trafficking economy in Colombia during the 1980s led to extravagant displays and the materialization of fantasies. Notably, Hacienda Nápoles, where Pablo Escobar established a public zoo filled with exotic species, stands out in this regard. After the confiscation of these assets, the fate of these species has been a recurring issue in Colombian society. The video installation "Ornamento y Delito" is set in a cubicle covered with blankets printed with images of animal species found in the wild. It offers an immersive cinematic experience that places the viewer in a captive environment. This installation connects the destinies of the animals from Hacienda Nápoles, now housed in a new theme park managed by the government, with the social practices of visiting El Pesebre prison, which was recently established on the grounds of the former estate. On multiple screens, Sebastián Múnera recreates the experience of two friends enjoying a day at the theme park after a conjugal visit to the prison. The project links spaces, and cultural practices derived from the Colombian conflict associated with drug trafficking in everyday life. It helps us understand how these situations and economies have overlapped in different layers, where criminal activities remain concealed behind entertainment practices. 
 

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