Liberating Shipwreck
Synopsis
Looking at the history of the maroon society of Esmeraldas, Ecuador, through the lens of string theory, Speiser superimposes conceptions of black holes with the occurrences of shipwrecks on the coast of Esmeraldas. These shipwrecks enabled the freedom of Afro-Ecuadorian communities as early as 1533, when they established maroon settlements, which became a haven for many others.
Schedule
1st Screening
5 November 2024, 15:00 GMT+7
2nd Screening
7 November 2024, 15:30 GMT+7
Credits
Simon Speiser
Simon Speiser is an German-Ecuadorian artist known for his interdisciplinary approach that merges nature and technology through various media, including writing, sculpture, video, virtual reality, installations, and printmaking. His works explore themes of origins and the interplay between human and technological worlds. Blending virtual reality and ancestral folklore, weaving science fiction with nonwestern conceptions of technology, and believing in storytelling as a tool in the fight against dystopian thinking, Speiser often creates immersive, sensory experiences that highlight the convergence of traditional knowledge and contemporary digital techniques, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of precolonial cultures.
Diana Ante
Diana Ante is originally from Esmeraldas and combines her knowledge of marketing and climate change to lead environmental education initiatives and promote collective action. She has developed strategies for climate change mitigation in her city. In 2021, she co-founded the Mama Zamba collective, which secured funding to implement a project aimed at eradicating gender-based violence in Esmeraldas. She is currently conducting research on food sovereignty at the Federal University of Latin American Integration (UNILA), which has led her to explore several regions of Ecuador committed to the defense of this right. Her research includes the documentary Amatif, available on YouTube, which won the international short film competition organized by the Center for Advanced Latin American Studies (CALAS) in 2023.
