Alessandro Casciaro

Santiago Reyes Villaveces (b. 1986, Colombia) builds on the idea navigates the liminal space between treasure and exploitation, weaving a poetic narrative that transcends traditional forms of knowledge. The term „guaca“ – a treasure, sacred place, or repository of collective memory – originates from the indigenous cultures of pre-Columbian America, particularly the Andean region. The allure of guacas fuelled the colonial expeditions, igniting a relentless pursuit of wealth and power that still reverberates in a constant desire to find wealth. Guacas, enigmatic and powerful, possess the ability to bring fortune or disgrace. They are hidden, buried, preserved, and reveal themselves in mysterious ways. As the climate crisis augments and the unsustainability of our economic model becomes evident, humanity’s gaze turns skyward, the colonial desires overspill into outer spaces seeking a new guaca in the cosmos that promises wealth for some and the possibility of becoming a multiplanetary species. Yet, the essence of guacas transcends material wealth, embodying spiritual significance, cultural heritage, and the sacred relationship between humans and the natural and supernatural realms. They are repositories of collective memory and cultural identity, preserving ancestral traditions, myths, and histories passed down through generations. Guaca is an exploration of power, memory, and fiction, a poignant reminder of the complex interplay between the past and the present, the terrestrial and the celestial, and the material and the spiritual. Through his work, SRV invites us to engage critically with the power systems that shape our world, and to contemplate the enduring legacy of guacas as symbols of resilience, cultural preservation, and environmental stewardship.

Santiago Reyes Villaveces is a Colombian artist who was born in Bogotá (1986). Santiago’s work examines knowledge systems used to control and colonize nature. His work consists of drawings, installations (large-scale and site-specific), moving images, and sculptures. Santiago un- derstands these formats as techniques to engage with systems of power and their contemporary ma- teriality. His most recent projects take interest in today’s colonization of space, reflecting on the limits of extractivism and the survival of life-forms—within and beyond our planet. His works and projects have been presented in public and private spaces in various places around the world. Currently he lives and works between Italy, London and Bogotá.

The Alessandro Casciaro Art Gallery is an international, art gallery presenting modern and contemporary masterpieces by some of the most significant Italian as well as central European artists, selected for the quality of their quest and the uniqueness of their pictorial language, alongside works by emerging young artists, promoting them and developing their international profile. Founded in Bolzano in 2015 by Alessandro Casciaro as a successor to the Goethe Gallery, the first art gallery in South Tyrol (founded in 1964 by Ennio Casciaro), the Alessandro Casciaro Art Gallery can now look back on more than fifty years of important exhibitions, independently curated catalogues, collaborations and arts fairs, with the aim of providing varied and intense stimuli and objectives for the future of contemporary art in both Italy and Europe.