Colombian photographer Jorge Panchoaga has released "Kalabongó," a groundbreaking visual narrative published by RM that examines the African heritage of Colombia through the lens of Palenque de San Basilio, one of the country's most historically significant communities. The dreamlike photographic fable celebrates the enduring legacy of escaped slaves who established fortified settlements known as palenques in the 17th century.
"The Palenque sky is in Africa, yet the roots, the tree, the fruits that sustain us, are here, in this free land, in Palenque," explains Neudis Marimon Cañate, a resident of Palenque de San Basilio. This sentiment captures the essence of Panchoaga's work, which explores how African roots have flourished in Colombian soil while maintaining deep connections to ancestral heritage.
San Basilio de Palenque stands as the last remaining palenque in Colombia, representing communities founded by rebel slaves who achieved their independence through fierce resistance in 1713. This historic achievement made it the first society in the Americas to successfully break away from European colonial domination. Located southeast of Cartagena, once a major slave-trading port, the village now houses approximately 3,500 inhabitants, while the broader palenquero population across Colombia reaches nearly 30,000 people.
The community continues to preserve a distinctive Afro-Colombian identity rooted in the concept of freedom, maintaining everything from its multiply-rooted language to unique funerary rites and traditional healing practices. The rich history of Palenque de San Basilio lives on through vibrant oral storytelling traditions that have been passed down through generations.
Panchoaga, originally from Cauca, discovered his passion for photography during his anthropology studies and has since dedicated his work to exploring Colombia's complex history and multicultural identity. His artistic approach combines visual narratives inspired by diverse sources including cinema, animation, comics, and ancient art forms, particularly painting and drawing.
"Kalabongó" emerges from the intersection of oral storytelling and visual culture, creating a symbolic tapestry that honors the enslaved Africans' pursuit of freedom. The book features powerful imagery including fields of fireflies that represent the inner light guiding escapees during their flight to freedom, and traditional hairstyles worn by women who cleverly hid seeds within their hair to fertilize the land where their community would eventually flourish.
Throughout the pages, bats sweep across scenes, referencing a local legend documented by researcher Clara Inés Guerrero. According to this folklore, Spanish soldiers once mistook a swarm of bats for rebel slaves taking flight, creating a moment of confusion that aided the freedom fighters. The recurring motif of uprooted plants emphasizes the critical importance of territorial belonging and collective strength within the community.
"What is freedom, if not having a place where one can belong within a community?" Panchoaga asks, encapsulating the central theme that evolved from his original concept. While initially conceived as a visual narrative about Afro-Colombian identity and the cimarrones' struggle for independence (the Spanish term for escaped slaves), the project gradually transformed into a deeper meditation on memory and its role in shaping identity.
For Panchoaga, memories serve as doorways to alternate dimensions, and the book reflects this philosophy through its nocturnal atmosphere that encourages the blending of lived experiences with imagined realities. "Memory, after all, is inseparable from imagination," the photographer explains, emphasizing imagination's essential role in society: "it structures our lives to recall, to resolve, to love, to create, to invent and yet societies neglect it."
The book's innovative use of color guides readers through deliberate shifts between dream states and reality, between collective memory and pure imagination. To make these transitions visible, Panchoaga drew inspiration from video game aesthetics. "I often think of books as video games: their physicality allows you to travel between different dimensions – the everyday, historical fact, and the imaginary," he explains.
As readers progress through the pages, the gentle poetry of everyday life gradually gives way to photographs saturated in incandescent red, which serves as the chromatic backbone connecting the entire narrative. This careful treatment of imagery creates distinct visual dimensions that mirror the community's journey from bondage to freedom.
The result is an enchanting visual fable that simultaneously celebrates the cimarrones' historic resistance and demonstrates the transformative power of imagination. The book concludes on an optimistic note with the image of a cherimoya fruit, symbolizing that the seeds of freedom have finally taken root and are flourishing on free soil.
"Kalabongó" spans 144 pages featuring 88 images in a 24 x 30 cm format, designed by Estudio Herrera. The bilingual edition includes English text with a Spanish insert, making this important cultural narrative accessible to diverse audiences. The book is available online and in bookstores, offering readers an opportunity to experience this unique blend of historical documentation and artistic interpretation.
