La Quema (del Planeta “B”)
The Burning (of Planet "B")
La Quema (del Planeta “B”) by Ecuadorian artist Francisco Baquerizo Racines is a striking two-channel video installation that examines South American colonial history through the lens of cultural practices and critiques of capitalism. Set in the bustling port city of Guayaquil, the work centres on the mestizo tradition of burning año viejo dolls – rag or cardboard effigies set alight on New Year’s Eve to symbolise renewal and hope.
Through this ritual, Baquerizo Racines explores the dynamics of seeing and being seen, the latter often tied to colonised territories in the so-called Global South. His work becomes a nuanced commentary on these roles, inviting viewers to rethink representation and engage in a dialogue about repair. The artist draws parallels between the ritual and the colonial fantasy of a “planet B,” a narrative of escape through exploitation or technological progress, questioning its implications in contemporary systems.
At the core of the installation is an año viejo doll modelled after a replica of The Amsterdam, a Dutch East India Company (VOC) galleon. Created with local artists Joshua Jurado and Diego Cuesta, the doll was paraded through Guayaquil’s markets and ceremonially burned at a shipbreaking yard, marking 400 years since the Dutch fleet’s assault on the city.
Through this amalgamation of ritual, history and critique, Baquerizo Racines reclaims forgotten stories, transforming them into powerful reflections on past and future systems of equity and repair.
– Eva Langerak
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Trailer
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Film details
- Productielanden
- Ecuador, Netherlands
- Jaar
- 2025
- Festivaleditie
- IFFR 2025
- Lengte
- 22'
- Medium/Formaat
- -
