PRO MUNDI BENEFICIO

My name is JC Candanedo, UK-based Queer and Migrant Visual Artist. In my series, Pro Mundi Beneficio, I tell the stories of the plants endemic to the American continent that have greatly benefited the economies of other parts of the world, but that have also been influential in the creation of new cultural identities around the globe. For this series, I’m combining early photographic processes invented in the UK with ancient dyeing techniques from the Mesoamerican people.

The name of the project comes from the motto on the coat of arms of the Republic of Panama, my birthplace, and is Latin for “For the Benefit of the World.” The motto refers to the unique geographical position of the country in the middle of the American continent and how influential the Panama Canal has been to the transoceanic trade.

In this work, I draw upon materials from the natural world to convey the journeys of those who have sought new horizons in the face of hardship and adversity. Using cyanotypes printed on cotton toned with plants endemic to Latin America, I stitch together sails that evoke the image of a ship setting forth into the unknown. By highlighting the cultural significance of these plants and their impact on the construction of new cultural identities in the Old World, I hope to provoke a deeper conversation about the ongoing impact of colonialism on contemporary society.  My work confronts viewers with their relationship with food, history, and their own identity. By engaging with these complex themes in a thought-provoking way, I hope to inspire them to explore the rich tapestry of their own cultural heritage.

The research that I’m conducting has taken me on a journey to try to understand the cultural significance of the (forced) exchange of knowledge between Old and New World after 1492, and also on a self-exploration journey of my dual heritage. As a mixed-heritage person, these two identities are in constant conflict with each other but also they inform each other and are influenced by my own experience of migration.

The plants of the American continent were gradually assimilated in other parts of the world until their origin was forgotten and they became part of a new cultural identity. Similar to how immigrants are often expected to dilute their identities and disappear into a version of themselves that is palatable for those in our host countries.

The series also includes a 6:15 minute video art performance entitled This Is (From) America, that serves as a reclamation of the stolen identity of foods endemic to the American continent that are now part of new cultural identities in the Old World.

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