Erika Diettes (1978–) is a visual artist who lives and works in Colombia. Her work centers on the processes of remembrance, mourning, and healing by survivors of the Colombian armed conflict that began in the 1960s.
Diettes’ installations are the product of long-term empathic relationships with mourners in small towns and rural areas of the country, in collaboration with social workers and psychologists. Each of her series lays bare the agony of personal loss and emotional pain of people who have experienced unspeakable acts of violence. Each one exposes the human cost of war. At the same time, her artwork enacts a collective ritual of remembrance and healing, and in doing so, engages the viewer in the universal struggle to make sense of unbearable tragedy.
As the repository of the documents that support Diettes’ work, the Latin American Library renews its commitment to documenting the experiences of the region, especially when they are produced under challenging political environments, as new media opens alternate possibilities for engagement.