Migrant Ecosystems: Art and the Journey Beyond Borders

In this episode, we engage with artist Salomé Restrepo as she shares her insights on migration, cultural identity, and the role of art in addressing social issues. Through her powerful experiences in Colombia and Chile, Salomé explores how art can serve as a vehicle for dialogue and change, shedding light on the complexities of displacement and human resilience. Join us for an inspiring discussion that challenges perceptions and highlights the importance of empathy in understanding the migrant experience. Support the Podcast via PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Salomé showed her work at the SACO Contemporary Art Bienal [https://bienalsaco.com/ecosistemas-oscuros-dark-ecosystems/] with her piece Migrant Ecosystems, thematically connected to the Dark Ecosystems title of the show. Taking place in the world's driest desert, the exhibition emphasized the connection between art and science, seeking to showcase contemporary artworks in spaces all over the city of Antofagasta. The show, presented in a region whose economy is dedicated almost exclusively to mining of rare earth minerals like copper and lithium, celebrates what they call the "dark biosphere," which may include subsurface microorganisms that defy any theory about what life can endure. Yet this Dark Biosphere can be interpreted as the multitude of ways that people and communities can survive and thrive in this most inhospitable desert. The Bienal SACO featured artists from all over Latin America, Europe, North America, and Asia. For an extended interview and other benefits, become an EcoJustice Radio patron at https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio Salomé Restrepo [https://salomerestrepo10.wixsite.com/portafolio/en] from Bogotá, Colombia has a Master of Fine Arts and Master of Peace Education from the District University of Bogotá. Her work addresses gender, migration, and memory, with projects such as The Body as a Territory for Peace. She has taught at the Surcolombian University and INCCA University, in addition to co-directing the cultural platform Culture in Route. She was the education coordinator at the Sala de Arte Bancolombia and has developed educational projects for trainers in museums and cultural spaces. Her work has been exhibited in Colombia, Chile, and soon in the United States. She is featured in the 2025 SACO Contemporary Art Bienal with her piece Migratory Ecosystems. Jack Eidt is an urban planner, environmental journalist, and climate organizer, as well as award-winning fiction writer. He is Co-Founder of SoCal 350 Climate Action and Executive Producer of EcoJustice Radio. He writes a column on PBS SoCal called High & Dry [https://www.pbssocal.org/people/high-dry]. He is also Founder and Publisher of WilderUtopia [https://wilderutopia.com], a website dedicated to the question of Earth sustainability, finding society-level solutions to environmental, community, economic, transportation and energy needs. Podcast Website: http://ecojusticeradio.org/ Podcast Blog: https://www.wilderutopia.com/category/ecojustice-radio/ Support the Podcast: Patreon https://www.patreon.com/ecojusticeradio PayPal https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=LBGXTRM292TFC&source=url Executive Producer and Host: Jack Eidt Engineer and Original Music: Blake Quake Beats Episode 265