Syncretism and mestizaje in the Valley of Atriz

Expressions of spirituality and religiosity in the popular markets of San Juan de Pasto, Colombia

Abstract

Transcending their natural purpose as spaces for the commercial exchange of goods and services, marketplaces or popular markets in the continental context harbor a wide and diverse array of ancestral, popular, traditional, and folkloric expressions. Within these spaces, it is possible to recognize various elements associated with the tri-ethnic syncretism of beliefs and knowledge that defines the identity of the American continent. The city of San Juan de Pasto, in the department of Nariño, in southern Colombia, in the so-called Valley of Atriz, contains within its spaces and corridors diverse expressions and elements that demonstrate a notable and prominent influence of Catholicism on the cultural identity of the Nariño region. This influence is evident in altars, statuary, religious imagery, temples, and the performance of religious ceremonies within these environments. Based on the exploration, observation, and photographic record of the main popular markets in the city of San Juan de Pasto, the aim is to collect and document these expressions and elements through images, thus developing a research and creation proposal. This proposal stems from an extensive investigative and documentary journey, developed through a wide range of popular markets, farmers' markets, popular commercial spaces, migrant environments, and other places of memory in the American continent. In the context addressed here, this allows us to recognize a set of expressions and elements associated with religiosity and the tri-ethnic syncretism of beliefs, a fundamental determinant of the cultural identity of the American continent.