Daily Newsletter The Colombian artist reflects on the state’s attempts to erase history, and the people’s continued refusal. Also: How should artists decide whether to participate in documenta 16?

November 5, 2026 — 4 min read

In the face of decades of violence and erasure in Colombia, artist Doris Salcedo has made memory her medium. Senior Editor Valentina Di Liscia writes that her poignant sculptures evoke the victims of the devastating guerrilla conflicts “not by simply remembering or looking back, but by delicately articulating the contours of their absence.” Recently, the Colombian government drew ire for removing LGBTQ+, leftist, and feminist objects from the Museo Nacional in Bogotá, later reinstalled after public protests.…