Aesthetics of Displacement: Movement, Archives, and Performance in Contemporary Colombia

By: Blanco Borelli, Melissa

Aesthetics of Displacement centers the embodied aesthetic practices of Afro-Colombian people and their experiences, asking readers to reassess Colombian national history, legacies of colonialism and racism, politics of memory, and the inheritances of violence related to the Colombian armed conflict. Through a theoretical frame of destierro or "displacement" and an examination of the Afro-Colombian philosophy vivir sabroso or "to live harmoniously," Aesthetics of Displacement focuses on how theatre-makers, choreographers, filmmakers, activist groups, and photojournalists create an embodied Colombian perspective informed by decolonial practices and thinking that rely on movement as a strategy for existence and that counter European hegemonic aesthetics as the major foundations of taste and value. This approach not only enhances our understanding of contemporary Colombian culture, but also highlights the importance of performance as a means of resistance and identity formation.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 047207816X
• ISBN13: 9780472078165
• Release Date: August 2026
• Publisher: University of Michigan Press
• Length: 276 Pages