Songs for the River

Exhibition & Conversation about Colombian Gold Mining with Kristina Aurora Bentzen and Gabriela Factor

At this event, the Aarhus-based artist Kristina Aurora Bentzen and Gabriela Factor, Chief Adviser on Human Rights, Tech and Business at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, will converse about the issues surrounding gold mining in Colombia’s Chocó province, where poverty, opportunity and violence converge to create a unique set of social and environmental challenges.

In 2023, Kristina Aurora journeyed from Denmark to the Chocó province to create a visual record of the communities flanking the Atrato River, where local families, armed groups and transnational companies deploy mercury—one of Earth’s deadliest toxins—to extract wealth. The resulting photographic and mixed-media work, which will be on display during the event, offers a lyrical-meditative way to empathize with both communities and the nature affected by the resulting pollution.

Gabriela Factor has worked on numerous projects relating to the intersection of economic activities, environmental issues and human rights, including projects on the green energy transition in Colombia. Her extensive specialist knowledge of the mining sector, including artisanal gold mining in Colombia, will enrich our understanding of the social context in which Kristina’s images were produced.

The discussion will be conducted in English.