La hortua inhospitalaria

David Lozano (b. 1960; Bogotá, Colombia; based in Bogotá)
"La hortua inhospitalaria" 2016/2017
Photographs
Collection of the artist

These photographs are derived from La hortua inhospitalaria, a performative action by artist David Lozano, presented in the context of the “World Summit on the Arts and Culture for Peace” in 2017. It was held in the ruins of the architectural complex of the San Juan de Dios Hospital, a former icon of the public health system in Bogotá, Colombia.

The work acquires new meaning and additional relevance in light of the health and economic emergencies resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The governmental response to the crises revealed an attitude of abandonment and indolence towards the public healthcare system, as well as the citizens and healthcare workers who are facing this virus.

Lozano’s critical commitment is reflected in this performance, and reminds us that illness, death, and healthcare have become a business in a capitalist system that disregards human life. These images reflect on the loneliness of the dying, the experiences of those trying to find a bed, the immobile healthcare workers who are victims of bureaucracy, and how hospitals are territories of oblivion and desolation. This work is a permanent cry for help that demands the right to access healthcare.

By Luis Carlos Manjarrés Martínez (based in Bogotá)