Author of case study: Marcela Torres Molano 

Geopolitical location of space:
Teatro Faenza, Calle 22
Bogotá, Cundinamarca

Extant? Yes

Architect: 
Architect: Arturo Tapia 
Engineer: Jorge Muñoz 
Inaugurated on April 3, 1924.

Timeframe of RJ/TJ process in this space:

23 November 2019

Background information:

The Black Market for Useful Knowledge and Non-Knowledge (“Mercado clandestino de conocimiento y no-conocimiento útil”) was a listening event of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in cooperation with the Mobile Academy Berlin. It was supported by the German Colombian Peace Institute (CAPAZ) and the Central Bank of Colombia. The event was an encounter of 60 experts such as activists, politicians, scientists, ex-combatants and artists from different parts of the country. 

The topic of the event “Water and Conflict” was established by the Commission as a response to how “In Colombia, the rivers and the bodies of water are cemeteries for countless victims, strategic territories for combat, and contaminated places. But they are also sites of memory, life, sustenance and resistance.”

Is restorative justice actually taking place in this space?

No, official encounters between victims and perpetrators did not take place in this event, however this was an initiative of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to allow the dialogue between civil society and experts such as activists and ex-combatants.

Is this space designed/arranged for safe listening?

Yes, the whole event was designed with the main purpose of allowing one to one conversations and group listening from the public. The use of the acoustic of the space and audio technologies allowed the implementation of two rounds of 66 simultaneous conversations. The dialogues could be held in five different languages, including Ticuna, a traditional Indigenous language. While the participants were having one to one conversations, the public was invited to listen to some of the conversations through a headphone system, and to read the transcripts on screens located around the theatre. The conversations between experts and individuals were intended to be informal, direct and to avoid type of  hierarchical order.

Who is the audience/the intended participants for this space?

Experts such as activists, politicians, scientists, ex-combatants and artists from different parts of the country and general public.

How or to what extent is this space public?

This event took place in a private restored theatre that belongs to the Central University, a private education institution in Bogotá.

What are the politics of this space, either in terms of its location, design, spatial, or visual aspects?

A very important political aspect of this event was the day of the event, enormous community mobilisations against the brutality of police and the lack of interest of the government with the peace agreement gathered across Bogotá and Colombia. During the event, the doors of the theatre had to be closed on many occasions because of safety reasons.

Physical/factual description of space:

The Faenza Theatre is an art nouveau architecture building that opened its doors in 1924.  It was initially used for musical performances and became a cinema theatre for independent films in 1948. In 1975, it became part of the National Heritage buildings of Colombia and  it was later transformed into a low budget porn film theatre. The Faenza was empty from 1980 until 2004, and was renovated in 2005 by the Central University.

The theatre has a rectangular shape of 21 meters wide by 45 meters long with a capacity of 1000 spectators. It is a multipurpose room that allows the transformation of the space depending on the required use. It is now used for social or academic purposes. For the Listening event, there were specific spatial elements that made the conversations and the listening possible: first, there was a clear disposition of the space, where conversations were happening in the middle, while the public was seated around this central space. Second, the use of tables for two people allowed the conversations to happen on an informal level and avoided any type of hierarchy between the experts and the non-experts. Third, the use of warm lighting and sounds as time counting mechanisms allowed the organisation of the event without causing disruption to the conversations. Although the theatre is considerably big and formal, through the spatial distribution and the aesthetics of the event, the  place  became a welcoming and warm space.

Analytical description of space:

According to the participants of the event, the atmosphere of the space, the spatial disposition and the opportunity for one to one dialogues, allowed to generate a feeling of confidence and safety between the interlocutors. One important element of this event was the possibility of whispering as a means of communication that created a deeper human connection.

Moreover, the possibility of moving the conversation throughout the space by using screens and headphone mechanisms, allowed all the participants to be indirectly involved in most of the conversations. The experience of participants became the main  element for creating a welcoming and safe atmosphere for listening.

One important aspect of the event was that it took place in a very contested area of the city, where large protests against the government were taking place on the same exact day. The protests that started on November 21, 2020, and lasted for weeks, were one of the biggest community mobilisations against the brutality of police and the lack of interest of the government in the implementation of the peace agreement.