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DS:
I work with the notion of duration, which is not exactly the present.
The situation in Colombia is one of constant fear, which destroys
the normal flow of time. The past presents itself as our imminent
future. Any sense of the present is consumed by memories of past;
constant dread obscures both present and future.
There is a more positive aspect to this notion of duration. Art
is duration and so permits the experience of the other to perdure.
It presents a past event as a present reality that resonates so
eloquently for the viewer that his powers of observation—contemplation--are
quickened, intensified. Art allows for encounter, for the creation
of relations between individuals who never knew each other. Relations
that last only for the instant of observation, but which in some
way give continuity to the victim’s life.
MF: Is there any difference in your perception of the violence
on the left and the violence on the right?
DS: One is the mirror image of the other. Brutality and irrationality
are common to both armies. The different bands that fight in this
war lack political goals, all they are fighting for is their own
survival. The reality is complex and absurd—the leftist guerrillas
are not only the oldest guerrilla movement on the continent, they
are also the richest and most conservative; the paramilitaries,
increasingly independent of the military, are psychopathic mercenaries
who are completely out of control. They are all in the drug trade,
there’s no such thing as limits. Anything can happen at any
moment to anyone. It is total chaos and will get worse.
MF: Why do you stay?
DS: I am a witness. I must stay in order to testify. Otherwise,
what is my reason for being?
Of
related interest:
The Magazine: Colombia:
The Traffic of Terror
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