Art’s Transformative Potential: Comparing Doris Salcedo’s Plegaria Muda and Ludmila Ferrari’s Cultus

This paper examines the transformative potential of two contemporary Colombian artworks on society. The question is interesting in light of the internal conflict and a recent increased activity in the art market in Colombia. Two installations created by Colombian artists are contrasted in order to approach the question. Doris Salcedo’s Plegaria muda (2008-2010) and Ludmila Ferrari’s Cultus (2007-2015) provide an interesting basis for comparison because the two artworks differ with respect to their involvement with art institutions. The installations are juxtaposed along different dimensions: how they encourage connections amongst citizens and transcend their immediate publics by linking different audiences, as well as how they restructure space so as to introduce a different set of norms.