Pájara is an interdisciplinary exhibition led by anthropologist Josly Medina and creative director Patricia Pietri. It immerses us in the living memories of Barlovento, the most emblematic Afro-descendant region in Venezuela.
Barlovento is a place where the lines between the real and the imagined blur. Here, memory is not just recalled—it is lived through every song, every drumbeat. Through photography, video, textile art, and in-depth research, Pájara becomes a sensorial journey that invites the viewer to rediscover the cultural richness of this land.
Divided into two chapters—Canto and Nido—Pájara guides us through the connection between the everyday and the transcendent. From the washerwomen’s songs to braided hairstyles filled with stories, this exhibition is an homage to the women of Barlovento: keepers of ancestral knowledge, weavers of community, and voices of resilience.
NIDO: We enter a journey that reveals how the women of Barlovento have subverted their realities. By reclaiming caregiving roles as the foundation of cultural life, their presence has been key in maintaining community cohesion and sustaining the households of the region. In doing so, women transcend familial caretaking to explore femininity as a diverse and ever-evolving phenomenon.
The notion of a single female experience is questioned, as their voices are distinct and multifaceted. The exhibition highlights the tools Barlovento women develop in contexts shaped by racialization, colonial legacies, and social conventions. In the face of often adverse conditions, creativity becomes a form of resistance. Hairstyles stand out as practices of self-care—imprints of a legacy rooted in the ancestral memory of Afro-Venezuelan communities. Full of symbolism, these styles weave together elements that not only evoke the past but also reaffirm identity in the present.
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Direction & Production: Patricia Pietri and Josly Medina Guerrero
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Research: Josly Medina Guerrero
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Creative Direction: Patricia Pietri
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Art Direction: Gabriel Pinto and Daniela Benaim
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Wardrobe: Costaiia, Mariela Ortega, and Daniela Benaim
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Makeup: Judith Padrón
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Hair Styling: Eileen Ugueto
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Production Assistance: Jaimar Marcano