Sounding the landscapes of the páramos in the Colombian Andes (Coming in 2026)

Páramos are unique and at the same time fragile ecosystems, located in the Colombian Andes above 3,000 meters above sea level. The combination of high precipitation, low average temperatures, soil type and vegetation that shaped these systems, allows them to store large amounts of ground and surface water, making them important providers of water for its surrounding regions. The páramo of Sumapaz in the South of Bogotá is not only the world’s largest páramo but crucial for the regulation of the country's hydrological cycle. It supplies rivers that provide water to nearly one-third of the country for drinking, hydropower, and agriculture. But páramos are more than just ecosystems. Beyond their biodiversity and provision of environmental services, they are deeply interconnected with the indigenous and smallholder communities that have inhabited, safeguarded, shaped and co-existed with these spaces for centuries. Today, these socioecological systems are threatened by climate change leading to higher temperatures, droughts and wildfires, as well as the exploitation of its resources and land use change.

The project Páramo Sonoro seeks to raise awareness about the importance of these socioecological systems through a multidisciplinary collaboration of musicians, researchers, sound artists and residents from the páramo of Sumapaz and the village of Sibaté. Based on sound recordings, interviews, workshops, and small events the stories that reflect the complex human-páramo relations will become audible and visible. Designed as a space for reflection and interaction with the páramo itself, the project is an invitation to pause, listen, and reconnect with this ecosystem that sustains us. More than just an artistic initiative, Páramo Sonoro is a call to action—a reminder that safeguarding these fragile socio-ecosystems is a shared responsibility.