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Afterglow is the glow that remains after the light is gone.

 

The starting point of the installation is a re-interpretation of 'Diorama', a device which was invented by Louis Daguerre in 1803, and uses light to create animated scenes.

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Afterglow is based on a series of video portraits taken of members of the Korebaju community. Each participant remains silent and motionless in front of the camera for several minutes, while the forest environment carries on in the background. At times we can hear a dog barking, children's voices, birds or even sound of a boat drifting by.

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In this immersive installation, Cuspoca creates a ritual space using elements of the local environment: the sand, stakes and ropes are arranged and balanced precariously to evoke life's simplicity in the Amazon Rainforest. Acrylic glass hangs from the roof in the centre of the space, appearing as a totem. The video portraits are projected through the glass and reflected onto the wall. Cuspoca then pours liquid latex onto the glass, thus activating the installation and the images of the Korebaju appear in the center of the space.

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The use of latex makes reference to The Amazon Rubber Boom, a critical period in the exploitation of rubber in the Amazon Rainforest which forced mass human displacements, triggered massacres, and caused the deaths of thousands of people, including the Korebaju's ancestors.

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