El Arrabal

The set design—comprising three panels supported by a structure—functions like a diorama, a fragment of a bar or a street corner; it is a small cinematic scene opened up to the public. The work is conceived with the “private booths” or “reserved areas” of popular bars in mind—spaces partitioned by curtains, cubicles, or doors that offer customers intimacy within a public setting. These spaces remain common in downtown Medellín and the towns of Antioquia; they are used for prostitution or for experiencing “free love” without the need for public display or external validation—encompassing same-sex relationships, affairs, threesomes, and more.

The construction approaches the project as if it were art direction for a film, drawing on previously explored themes: music, nightlife, desire, popular dance, partying, dim red lighting, mirrors and reflections, and the multifaceted connotations of the word *arrabal*—referring to the suburbs, the outskirts, or that which lies beyond the boundary. Creating this small set simulates a movie experienced in real time; it is a space to be inhabited, not merely observed. Conceptually, the work positions *El arrabal* as a place that speaks of privacy yet remains open to the public, serving as a vessel for our stories and our relationships.

ORGANIZED BY:
UN_FAIR
Society Tequendama

SUPPORTED BY:
CREMIL
TEQUENDAMA SUITES BOGOTÁ