Edges of Language (2014) - Marco Bell's Portfolio

The series of photographs Edges of Language is rooted in the confrontation between the history of human conflicts and notions of contemporary society. I think of my photographs as reminders of the underlying logic of power. I’m interested in the rhetorical use, abuse and destruction of language, in the intersection of the material and the symbolic, in the ambiguities and abstractions of the literal, in the annihilation of thought and individuality.

I've wanted to deepen into the manifestation of people’s deepest beliefs by portraying the –Orwellian– realities of our time. In this series, written communication is not represented only as an abstract system of symbols, but also as a material form that can be manipulated, fragmented and deconstructed in sculptoric and performative ways.

By exploring memory within specific locations –like the Atcama desert in Chile (where Pinochet dropped his victims), Simon Bolivar’s path during his early trip to the United States (where he planned his utopian unification of South America), or the modern ruin of Kangbashi (China’s most infamous real estate bubble)- my work is a reflection of the past in today’s political landscape.