Elkin Calderón

In this series of twelve photographs, the Columbian artist Elkin Calderón documents the abandoned buildings of the United Fruit Company in the banana region of Magdalena, Colombia, where one of the most terrible massacres of workers protesting for better working conditions took place in 1928. In the old company settlements, there are still traces of what life was like their for the foreign workers: although they’re in a state of ruin, the pool, a dance hall, a cinema room, the hospital and a few homes remain. Amongst the structures still standing, the old manor house where the foreign workers sheltered during the protests and the following massacre stands out. There, you can still find objects, utensils and furniture from the era, including crockery with the United Fruit Company insignia on it. These photographs of ghostly places evoke the tragedy of the history of the region; the traces of luxuries that the foreign workers enjoyed contrast with the misery of the local inhabitants which has been perpetuated from then until now. Some of the home interiors depict an older man, the current occupant of one of the houses, humble in appearance, surrounded by an impoverished environment that accentuates the sadness of his gaze. With this piece, Calderón draws attention to the abusive colonialist relationship that the United States maintained with Colombia during the years that United Fruit operated in the country, with consequences that are still evident even now.