artista: SAMUEL SAMIENTO
curador: ANA MARIA HERNANDEZ
october - december 2023
[PAPIAMENTO]
ODA NA E PISCADOR ta un proyecto cu kier a destaca e storianan, importancia y balor di e bisindario conoci como Rancho. E bisindario aki, cu a cuminsa como un comunidad chikito di piscado na e cuminsamento di siglo 19, a sinti e impacto fuerte di e cambionan economico y di e desaroyo urbano di e isla.
Cambionan manera nan acceso na e Waf’i Rancho, cu pa hopi tempo tabata un fuente economico importante, a impacta e comunidad profundamente. E factor aki, combina cu e costonan di materialnan pa pisca y cambionan ecologico a haci cu piscamento a disminui drasticamente na e bisindario.
E exhibicion di arte parti di e proyecto ODA NA E PISCADOR, a presenta obranan di e artista local Samuel Sarmiento cu e curaduria di gestor cultural y historiado di arte local Ana Maria Hernandez. E artista plastico a haci uzo di e medionan di dibuho, pintura y ceramica pa documenta y comparti storianan di e pasado y presente di e diferente personahenan cu a forma parti di e comunidad aki. E exhibicion a tuma lugar entre 16 di juni te cu 4 di augustus 2023 na e sede di Fundacion Rancho, na Oranjestad, Aruba.
E exhibicion ONLINE aki ta presnta algun di e obranan cu a forma parti di e exhibicion fisico.
[ENGLISH]
ODE TO THE FISHERMEN is a project that aims to highlight the stories, importance, and value of the neighborhood known as Rancho. This neighborhood, which started as a small fishing community at the beginning of the 19th century, has been impacted by the many urban and economic changes in Aruba.
Changes such as the developments on the Waf’i Rancho, the neighborhood's original pier and access point to the sea, have deeply impacted the community’s access to fish. This, combined with the cost of fishing materials, and ecological changes has led to a drastic decrease in the number of fishermen in the neighborhood.
The art exhibition part of our ODE TO THE FISHERMEN project, showcased works by local artist Samuel Sarmiento under the curation of local cultural manager and art historian Ana Maria Hernandez. The artist used the mediums of drawing, painting, and ceramic to document and share stories from the past and present of the various stories that have been part of this community. The exhibition took place from June 16th to August 4th, 2023, at the headquarters of the Fundacion Rancho in Oranjestad, Aruba.
This ONLINE exhibition presents some of the works that have been part of the physical exhibition.
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Samuel Sarmiento, Sin Titulo (Bahia di Cabai)/ Untitled (Bay of horses), medio mixto riba papel/ mixed media on paper, 2023.
"Kinan nos por wak un grupo di cabay yegando tera, landando den e bahia cu despues lo wordo conoci pa e hendenan local como Paardenbaai (Bahia di Cabaynan). Mescos cu un naufrago ta yega na un isla buscando algo, muha pa e awa di lama, nan ta explora e tera cu lo bira nan hogar.”
- Samuel Sarmiento
Despues di e prome contacto di Spañonan cu e isla di Aruba rond di 1500, nan a declara esaki como un tera sin utilidad den e emprendimento colonial, mirando cu e isla no tabata tin metalnan precioso. Despues, nan a uza esaki como un sorto di rancho grandi pa cria bestia pa e Spañonan. Nan tabata exporta e cabaynan aki pa ser uza den e molinanan di sucu na e islanan manera Jamaica y Martinique, cu tabatin caña di sucu den e region.
“This image shows a group of horses who have just made it to land, swimming across the bay which will later be known to the locals as Paardenbaai (Bay of Horses). Just as a castaway arrives at an island hoping to find something, dripping in salty water, they explore the land that would be their new home.”
- Samuel Sarmiento
After the Spaniards’ first contact with the island of Aruba around 1500, it was declared a useless piece of land in the colonial enterprise, since it produced no precious metals. Later, it served as a sort of large ranch for cattle breeding for the Spaniards. The horses bred on the island were exported to be used as draught animals in the sugar mills on the islands that cultivated sugar cane in the region, such as Jamaica and Martinique.
Samuel Sarmiento, Yobida riba e forno di kalki/ Rain on the lime kiln, verf acrilico riba canvas/ acrylic on canvas, 2023.
Forno di Kalki, Ranchostraat, Oranjestad, Aruba (Aruba Tourism Bureau)
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E bisindario di Rancho ta e bisindario mas antiguo di Oranjestad. Nos no sa exactamente ki ora e bisindario aki a wordo estableci, pero loke ta conoci ta cu ela cuminsa como un comunidad di piscado cu a dicidi di establece nan mes na Paardenbaai, riba un pida tera cu acceso facil na lama.
E prome biaha e bisindario di Rancho a wordo menciona ta den e archivonan di 1855 despues cu Oranjestad a cuminsa tuma forma rond di 1790, ora colonisacion blanco a wordo permiti riba e isla. Prome cu esaki, solamente oficialnan Hulandes, empleadonan di e Compañia Hulandes di India Occidental, y e inmigrantenan indigena di e region, tabata e unico habitantenan riba e isla.
E nomber Rancho ta bin for di e uzo inicial di e sitio. Ta conoci for di fuentenan oral cu hopi piscado riba e isla tabata bay na e parti di e isla aki pa campa pa algun dia y pisca. Na un cierto momento, un grupo di e piscadonan a dicidi di establece nan mes akinan permanentemente.
E acceso di e comunidad aki na lama a ser desafia varios biaha den historia, como un consecuencia directo di e desaroyo urbano di Oranjestad den temponan moderno.
The neighborhood of Rancho is the oldest neighborhood of Oranjestad; Aruba’s capital city. It is not known when this neighborhood was founded exactly, but what is known is that it started off as a villager of fishermen and their families who decided to settle along the Paardenbaai on a piece of land with easy access to the sea.
The first mention of the neighborhood of Rancho is from 1855 after Oranjestad began to take shape around 1790 when white colonization was allowed on the island. Before this time, only Dutch officials, Dutch West India Company employees, and indigenous immigrants from the region were the only ones on the island.
The name Rancho, which means ranch, comes from the location's initial use. It is known from oral sources that many fishermen on the island used to head to this part of the island to camp for a few days and fish. At some point, a group of these fishermen decided to settle here.
The community’s access to the sea has been challenged multiple times throughout history, as a direct consequence of the urban development of Oranjestad in modern times.
Samuel Sarmiento, Aw’i Playa, ceramica y glazuur/ ceramic and glaze, 2023.
Samuel Sarmiento, Rancho, ceramica y glazuur/ ceramic and glaze, 2023.
Samuel Sarmiento, Undus Mundus, ceramica y glazuur/ ceramic and glaze, 2023.
Samuel Sarmiento, Bendedo di pisca (Rancho)/ Fish Seller (Rancho), medio mixto riba papel/ mixed media on paper, 2023.
Oranjestad, Aruba (1938). Por wak Rancho Rancho memey ariba - Rancho can be seen top-middle.
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“Den e dibuho aki nos ta mira un señora cu ta bende pisca na waf y na mes momento nos ta mira un mapa di Rancho. Algun di e edificionan no ta existi mas, otro tey ainda y un par ta imaginario. E ta manera un sorto di ehercicio di memoria di loke nos por intui ta, tabata of por ta Rancho.”
- Samuel Sarmiento
"In this drawing, we see a lady selling fish at the harbor and at the same time, we see a map of Rancho. Some buildings no longer exist, others are still standing, and some are imaginary. It's like a memory exercise of what we can comprehend was, is, or could be Rancho."
- Samuel Sarmiento
Samuel Sarmiento, Conbersacion tocante lama cu un piscado/ Talks about the sea with a fisherman, medio mixto/mixed media, 2023.
Entrevista cu Carlito Quandt (2022). Interview with Rancho fisherman Carlito Quandt (2022). Image by Rafael Barragan
Carlos Roberto Quandt ta un di e poco piscadornan activo ainda den e bisindario di Rancho. Mayoria di e piscadonan conoci den e comunidad lamentablemente a fayece, tin un otro profesion cu ta duna un entrada economico mas stabiel of simplemente no por eherce e profesion aki mas. Esaki tin un impacto grandi riba e comunidad su acceso na pisca fresco; un recurso cu semper tabata e fuente primordial di alimento y stabilidad economico pa nan.
Miho conoci den comunidad como Carlito, ela comparti cu nos su conocemento di e profesion di pesca, e peligernan riba laman, nos conexion cu naturaleza, e desaroyonan di e Waf’i Playa y su impacto real pa e comunidad. Tur esaki a wordo comparti door e lens di su recuerdonan. Pa lesa mas tocante Carlito, lesa nos Blog Curatorial #3.
Carlos Roberto Quandt is one of the last remaining fishermen active in the neighborhood of Rancho. Many of the known fishermen of Rancho have unfortunately passed away, have another profession that provides a more stable source of income, or can simply no longer practice this profession. This has had a huge impact on the community's access to fresh fish; a resource that had always been the primary source of sustenance and economic stability.
Carlito, as he is best known in the community, talked to us about his knowledge of the fishing techniques, the dangers of the sea, our connection to nature, and the real impact of the developments of the Harbor of Playa on the community. All of this, through the lens of his recollections. To read more about Carlito, check out our Curatorial Blog #3.
Samuel Sarmiento, Piscamento den oranan di madruga/ Fishing int he early hours, ceramica y glazuur/ceramic and glaze, 2023.
Samuel Sarmiento, Piscado di Rancho/ Rancho fisherman, ceramica y glazuur/ ceramic and glaze, 2023.
Samuel Sarmiento, Piscado di Perla/ Pearlfisher, ceramica y glazuur/ ceramic and glaze, 2023.
"Nos ta mira un combinacion di personahe den e acto di piscamento. Nos por bisa cu nan ta mitologico of simbolico, asocia cu e labor maritimo."
- Samuel Sarmiento
"We see a combination of characters engaged in the act of fishing. We could say that they are mythological or symbolic characters that are associated with maritime work."
Samuel Sarmiento
Piscadonan Arubano (1964-66). Imagen di e coleccion Delnoij - Aruban fishermen dated (1964-66). Image from the Delnoij collection.
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Samuel Sarmiento, Oda Na e Piscador (madruga)/ Ode to the Fisherman (dawn), medio mixto riba papel/ mixed media on paper, 2023.
FRAGMENTO DI E ENTREVISTANAN CU E PISCADONAN DI RANCHO - FRAGMENTS OF THE INTERVIEWS WITH RANCHO FISHERMEN
Samuel Sarmiento, Fauna marina di Aruba (‘catch of the day’), medio mixto/mixed media, 2023.
Samuel Sarmiento, Piscamento di rosario y un Bristol/ Fishing method, medio mixto/mixed media, 2023.
Boto di vela den e waf di Rancho, Oranjestad (1923). - Fishing sailboats in the harbor of Rancho, Oranjestad (1923).
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Samuel Sarmiento, Oda na e Piscado (Taray)/ Ode to the fisherman (fishing net), verf acrilico riba canvas/ acrylic on canvas, 2023.
"Un reda grandi ta parce ta bula riba un grupo di personahe. Liñanan paralel, patronchi, pieknan y curvanan; un reda grandi ta drief riba seis piscado na e waf. Nan cuero kima pa e solo y salo. Nan ta warda ansiosamente pa mira si nan redanan ta carga cu pisca, oesters, percebe, of por ta un tesoro. Rond di nan nos ta mira botonan di color briyante y un luz cu ta blind nos y ta satura e ambiente. Ta e solo di merdia cu ta stroba nan bista riba e luga unda nan ta traha. Nan a pasa e anochi completo riba lama. Boter, lata, y manchanan blauw ta dorna e tera. Algun di nan tin awa y rum. Otronan tin koffie y cuminda. Na e skina ariba, na banda robez, nos por mira un structura geel na distancia. Esaki ta e forno di kalki di Rancho. Algun di e piscadonan kier bay cas pa caba. Mañan ta un dia festivo."
- Samuel Sarmiento
"A large net appears to be floating over a group of people. Parallel lines, weaves, vertices, grids, and patterns; a large net is floating over six fishes at the dock. Their skin burned by the sun and salt. They are anxiously waiting to see if their nets are loaded with fish, oysters, barnacles, or maybe a treasure. Around them, we see bright-colored boats and a light that blinds us and saturates the environment. It's the midday sun does not allow a clear view of the stage where these men work. They spent the entire night at sea. Bottles, cans, and blue pots adorn the land. Some of them contain water and rum. Others have bait, coffee, and food. At the top left corner, we can see a yellow structure in the distance. This is the lime kiln of Rancho. Some of the fishermen want to go home already. Tomorrow is a holiday."
- Samuel Sarmiento
Waf'i Rancho 2022. Phtographer: Rafael Barragan.
