Óscar Figueroa

Many of Óscar Figueroa Chaves’ works focus on the harmful effects of pesticides. For more than a decade, he has been dedicated to exploring the legacy of plantation economies in his native Costa Rica. His 2012 piece Deméritos is a video-recorded performance which uses bright blue plastic bags sprayed in pesticide to trace the route of what used to be the Turrialba train line, measuring 3275 metres. The bags were originally used on the plantations to protect the banana bunches before harvesting. The performance was carried out on 12th October 2012, a controversial date, given that it is celebrated in many countries as Día de la Raza (Columbus Day), or ‘discovery of America’. The striking blue path marked out by Figueroa Chaves’ action calls attention to the devastating effects of banana monoculture on the economy, the land and the culture of the area. The piece also suggests that perhaps it is the plantation workers, rather than the banana bunches, that should be protected from the ‘plague’ of the multinational companies that operate in Costa Rica. The location of this performance in Turrialba also alludes to the order given by the Costa Rican government, instigated by United Fruit Company at the start of the 20th century, to prevent the African-American and Chinese population who worked on the banana plantations from travelling west beyond Turrialba, where more modern and ‘whiter’ industries were being developed.