OTRO ELEFANTE, EMILIO CHAPELA
[Terrace]
FEB. 2022
Otro Elefante, investigates the environmental crisis and the relationships of power and domination exercised by human activities over the environment. It does so by visualizing the rhetoric associated with expansionism and human development.
“It is quarter to midnight” on the environmental clock, says a well-known phrase among environmentalists. The situation is alarming. The call is to pay attention to this planet.
In addition to the sculpture, the work features a musical composition composed in collaboration with Enrico Chapela, based on the well-known children’s song in which a potentially infinite number of elephants balance on a spider’s web without breaking it.
By altering the original lyrics of the song, the musical piece points to the frequently harmful (yet seductive) logics of development and progress, which, as in the song, insist without presenting arguments, that the spider web will endure forever. We know that this is not possible, and that the web, like our planet, will hardly resist.
The lyrics were modified to denounce these pernicious logics and refer to some of the actions associated with infrastructure works, burning of trees, pollution, hydrocarbon extraction, etc.
Listen: Otro Elefante
Un elefante se columpiaba
sobre la tela de una araña.
Como veían que resistía,
fueron a llamar a otro elefante.
Dos autopistas se construían
sobre un trecho de la selva,
Como veían que resistía,
fueron a poner otra autopista.
Tres arroyuelos se envenenaban
con los desechos de la industria.
Como veían que resistían,
fueron a ensuciar otro arroyuelo.
Cuatro arboledas se incendiaban
para el provecho de una siembra.
Como veían que resistían,
fueron a incendiar otra arboleda.
Cinco drenajes se descargaban
sobre las aguas de una pantano.
Como veían que resistía,
fueron a poner otro drenaje.
Seis yacimientos se perforaban
para extraer hidrocarburos.
Como veían que resistían,
Fueron a excavar más yacimientos.
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