Bienal de Pontevedra

In this triptych, Priscilla Dobler Dzul takes the title from Bosch's work, painted when the colonisation of America was spreading and Europe was enriching itself through expropriation of the land. The artist responds to this historical context by depicting creatures of various races and genders as well as indigenous cultural objects in order to give voice to what was considered marginal and primitive. She proposes a new way of understanding the world, the body and the gender, the relationship with other species and other non-human entities. The triptych is divided into three scenes: Cielo (Heaven), Tierra (Earth) and Infierno (Hell). Cielo shows an oneiric landscape full of colour, sensual pleasures, deities and figures inspired by Mayan hieroglyphs. In Tierra, animals and deities are attacked by armed police officers, which reflects a battle for controlling the garden. Infierno is presented in shades of grey and white, with a central image that seems to be deprived of colour. Despite the sobriety of the composition, the coloured butterflies suggest the possibility of redemption and transformation.