TRANSPORTA MANAGUA
Participatory art project in Managua, Nicaragua, 2017
TRANSPORTA MANAGUA focuses on the old city center in Managua, Nicaragua, the site of a shifting population since a mas- sive earthquake toppled the area in 1972, followed by the Nicaraguan Revolution and civil war. TRANSPORTA MANAGUA collects and layers stories and memories of Old Managua inhabitants, past and present, onto the current urban space.
The rebuilding of the city was delayed for decades by war, purposeful neglect, and geologic instability. An entire generation came of age amid a city center in ruins as Managua continued to expand away from the old city center. Although main avenues, parks and a few pre-earthquake buildings remain in their original location, most old landmarks only persist in people’s memories. During two and a half months of on-site research, interviews were conducted with individuals who once lived in Old Managua before the earthquake, as well as people who currently live in the area’s historic neighborhoods, many now inhabited by migrants from other parts of Nicaragua. The artist then edited these recorded voices into a soundtrack that serves as an elusive mapping of the city.
Three caponeras, the Nicaraguan version of a moto-taxi or tuk-tuk, were rented; caponeras are not a common sight in the historic center. Offering free rides over the course of four days, participants were picked up at a designated stop in front of Parque Central and Plaza de la Revolución. From there, the caponeras traveled through a mapped route that wrapped through the historic neighborhood of San Sebastián before continuing on through historic sites including the old cathedral, still in ruins.
More than 450 individuals participated in TRANSPORTA MANAGUA in March 2017. With its use of colorful signage, decorated vehicles, ample press coverage, and lively location in the park, the project’s vibrancy caught the attention of many passersby who spontaneously participated in the project. TRANSPORTA MANAGUA explored the context of Old Managua through storytelling and collective memory. The caponera’s route through the city was itself a site of convergence, a non-linear journey through past and present, and through an urban space simultaneously traveled and remembered.
Participatory art project in Managua, Nicaragua, 2017
TRANSPORTA MANAGUA focuses on the old city center in Managua, Nicaragua, the site of a shifting population since a mas- sive earthquake toppled the area in 1972, followed by the Nicaraguan Revolution and civil war. TRANSPORTA MANAGUA collects and layers stories and memories of Old Managua inhabitants, past and present, onto the current urban space.
The rebuilding of the city was delayed for decades by war, purposeful neglect, and geologic instability. An entire generation came of age amid a city center in ruins as Managua continued to expand away from the old city center. Although main avenues, parks and a few pre-earthquake buildings remain in their original location, most old landmarks only persist in people’s memories. During two and a half months of on-site research, interviews were conducted with individuals who once lived in Old Managua before the earthquake, as well as people who currently live in the area’s historic neighborhoods, many now inhabited by migrants from other parts of Nicaragua. The artist then edited these recorded voices into a soundtrack that serves as an elusive mapping of the city.
Three caponeras, the Nicaraguan version of a moto-taxi or tuk-tuk, were rented; caponeras are not a common sight in the historic center. Offering free rides over the course of four days, participants were picked up at a designated stop in front of Parque Central and Plaza de la Revolución. From there, the caponeras traveled through a mapped route that wrapped through the historic neighborhood of San Sebastián before continuing on through historic sites including the old cathedral, still in ruins.
More than 450 individuals participated in TRANSPORTA MANAGUA in March 2017. With its use of colorful signage, decorated vehicles, ample press coverage, and lively location in the park, the project’s vibrancy caught the attention of many passersby who spontaneously participated in the project. TRANSPORTA MANAGUA explored the context of Old Managua through storytelling and collective memory. The caponera’s route through the city was itself a site of convergence, a non-linear journey through past and present, and through an urban space simultaneously traveled and remembered.
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To listen to the entire Spanish audio heard inside the caponeras please click here