Ruedas de identidad

Abstract

This project stems from an intimate connection between family memory and cultural expression. My father, a truck driver for years, imbued his identity in the truck he drove, a vehicle that became a witness of our shared stories during my childhood. That experience, lived from the cab, awakened in me the need to preserve and recount these memories, exploring how trucks are not only work tools, but also moving canvases that reflect the identity, creativity and emotions of those who drive them. Through a research conducted in the Corabastos plaza, in the locality of Kennedy (Bogotá), I immersed myself in the visual and human universe of cargo trucks. I interviewed drivers, asking about their personal stories: their names, their origins, their routes and above all, the reasons behind the names and decorations of their vehicles. These conversations revealed a world of aesthetic choices laden with meaning, where every detail - from the vibrant paints to the religious images and painted phrases - tells a unique story. With this project I won the grant to support the professionalization of artists, awarded by the Secretariat of Culture, Recreation and Sport, thanks to which I was able to materialize a three-day photographic exhibition in the banking area of Corabastos. There, I captured the visual richness of the trucks and the intimate stories of their owners, capturing in images and stories the identity and creativity behind each vehicle. This initiative not only documented the unique aesthetics of the trucks, but also made visible the voices and memories of the truck drivers, who, through their aesthetic choices, transform their vehicles into mobile expressions of art and culture. To culminate my thesis, I presented a plastic proposal at the ASAB Exhibition Hall: an installation of rear-view mirrors made of wood, which reinterpret this element as a symbol of identity and memory. These mirrors, more than functional objects, become windows that reflect the intimate stories of truck drivers, their dreams, their routines and their struggles. Through them, I invite the viewer to look at himself in the reflection of these lives that, although foreign, resonate with our own experiences, reminding us that every journey, every road, is full of stories waiting to be told. “Wheels of Identity” not only documents the aesthetics of the trucks, but also explores their role as mobile expressions of folk art and their deep connection to the cultural identity of the drivers. By situating this research in the urban context of Corabastos, the project seeks to generate a reflection on how these vehicles, beyond their logistical function, contribute to the visual and cultural symphony of the locality of Kennedy, becoming symbols of resistance, creativity and collective memory.