Zoraida
Lopez
Diago
In 2013, I returned to Medellin, Colombia to continue my work at Pedregal, a maximum security women's prison. During this time, I taught photography to 18 incarcerated women , documented their lives, and focused on collaborating with their families. I also taught a workshop on art and activism at the University in Antioquia-Medellin branch.
I created a project in which five typewriters were purchased, brought into the prison, and given to 18 inmates to type their personal histories and letters to loved ones. The typewriters were then brought to the Paul Bardwell Gallery, the gallery I work with in Medellin. Family members of the incarcerated met one another, shared stories, and wrote letters to their imprisoned loved ones. Dialogues were formed while interwoven communication between mothers, daughters, children, fathers, and lovers were revealed. Over a 24 hour period, I rewrote segments of each letter on the gallery floor, in an effort to make their stories more visible and pronounced. You can see a video of my experiences in Pedregal, including the typing project by clicking here.
I am in contact with some of the women who have been released since my time in Colombia.