Colombia’s monumental Congress building was overrun on Wednesday by hundreds of meter-long ants, placed there by Colombian artist Rafael Gomez Barros.
The swarm of fiberglass creatures attached to the facade and windows of the Capitolio Nacional building on Plaza Bolivar represents “immigration, globalization and displacement,” according to Gomez.
The theme of migration and population movement has particular relevance for Colombia, where there are an estimated 2 to 4 million displaced people, most of whom were forced from their homes by the country’s ongoing armed conflict.
“I’m trying to force a reflection on what we experience and see on a daily basis, and also to raise awareness about our monuments,” the artist explains.
The work, entitled “Casatomada” (House Occupied), will be at Bogota’s Plaza Bolivar until March 26th.