BEHIND THE LENS
COLOMBIA BY MANUEL CARDOZO
Tell us a little about yourself and your relationship with Colombia. What brought you here, and what does this place mean to you?
My name is Manuel Cardozo. I am an environmental engineer and a photographer. I was born in Bogotá, in the Villa del Río neighborhood, in the locality of Bosa. I am the son of a truck driver and a homemaker. I began exploring photography in my adolescence and, over time, as I discovered different references in the city and in my surroundings, I became increasingly interested in the visual.
Colombia is my home, my essence, and my family; it represents, in every sense, the foundation of who I am, how I behave, and how I see the world. From a very young age, I traveled to many places throughout Colombia: my father would take us in his truck, along with my mother and my brother, and we would journey across the country. That is how I saw the sea for the first time.
From your perspective and through your images, what attracts you to and captures you about a city or a specific place?
For me, it is very important to identify how local people recognize or give meaning to a space, to understand the reasons behind it and the relationship or conception they have of the place I am visiting. This helps me become more sensitive and focused on what draws me to a space, whether it is something as simple as an object, a landscape, or an everyday action.
What has been the best discovery on this recent trip?
I reaffirm the phrase, “you always return to where you were happy.” For me, Colombia—even though I am not living there at the moment—will always be a place of love, friendship, and family. Being able to share that small world with my friends and family is more than enough.
If you had to choose your favorite thing about Colombia, what would it be?
(It can be a place, food, landscape, activity, etc.)
The arepas from Don Julio, in the neighborhood where I lived in Villa del Río, are definitely the best. It’s a very difficult question, but they are in my top five favorite things since childhood. It’s a family memory, a Sunday plan: ordering them for delivery or going out to get them at night for dinner, along with a churrasco skewer. 10 out of 10.
What is the most special and unique thing about Colombia that you haven’t seen anywhere else?
Clearly, the landscapes and the warmth of the people. In Colombia, regardless of the context, people will always lend you a hand with the biggest smile, and the beauty of its landscapes is unmatched.
Is there a Colombian word or expression that you love?
In Colombia, we have incorporated the word marica into our everyday language without an offensive context; rather, it functions as a sign of friendship or trust. As someone who is gay, I love being able to use it because, in some way, it weakens the patriarchal or macho undertones embedded in the language of society.
What does beauty mean to you?
The meaning of beauty has evolved for me in recent years. I now see it as a form of well-being; although it is something very subjective and abstract, it is closely linked to aesthetics for me.
Your favorite Colombian restaurant?
Plaza de la Perseverancia, La Esquina de Mary.
When you travel to Colombia, you can’t miss…
A good street-style mango biche, aguapanela with cheese for an afternoon snack with a rolled bread, and a Sunday tamal from the neighborhood bakery. And spending Christmas in Colombia is a unique visual and culinary experience: a constant celebration for more than a month, filled with novenas and buñuelos.
What does Colombia smell like?
Colombia smells like its more than 400 species of fruits, like the country’s biodiversity, like New Year’s sparklers, like the night-blooming jasmine in every neighborhood, and like my grandmother’s morning coffee.
What does Colombia taste like?
Like a freshly made lulo juice: the perfect balance between sour and sweet, accompanied by a crispy fried patacón with a touch of lemon. Truly, every delicacy, from the Pacific coast to the high Andes, is delicious.
