Sometimes, the Earth trembles, cracks, and destroys. Nature reveals itself in its most violent forms, and the consequences are beyond human comprehension. What we can do, as humans, is create connections and mend what has been left fractured in its wake. Photography documents, captures, and represents, but it also gives meaning. Pictures for Colombia is an initiative by David Mesa, Daniela López, and Manuel Cardozo, supported by Arxipelag, bringing together 11 Colombian photographers for a print sale fundraiser in support of those affected by the earthquake of August 10. All proceeds will go to Fundación Casa Múcura and Voluntarios Bajo Cuerda.
Fundación Casa Múcura is a non-profit organization working in the Gulf of Tribugá to promote peace, biocultural education, environmental stewardship, community economies, and territorial governance. Inspired by the cycles of nature, its work seeks to preserve, connect, and renew by weaving ancestral knowledge with the imagination of possible futures. Through community-led initiatives, Casa Múcura supports the transmission of traditional knowledge, the care of local ecosystems, economic autonomy, and the strengthening of local leadership and collective governance.
Voluntarios Bajo Cuerda is a community-led civil society volunteer group that came together organically on August 10, 2026, the day the earthquake struck the city of Pereira, Colombia. Since then, the organization has provided essential support to affected communities, coordinating logistics and distributing food, water, medicine, tents, and other basic supplies. Over the past month, their efforts have increasingly focused on the reconstruction of damaged homes and the construction of new housing for families who have lost their homes. Today, Voluntarios Bajo Cuerda continues to raise and coordinate resources in order to sustain this work and support the affected communities for as long as needed.
Arxipelag is an independent biannual publication and digital platform exploring photography as a way of seeing and understanding the world. Through the work of selected photographers, it traces the relationships between people, places, culture, and the natural environment. Grounded in a belief in photography's ability to create connections and open new perspectives, Arxipelag supports initiatives that bring creative practices into dialogue with social and environmental realities. Its involvement in Pictures for Colombia reflects this commitment, contributing to a collective effort to support communities affected by the earthquake.