Coffea. Colombian Coffees: Identity, Diversity, People and Terroirs

From June 16 Accademia hosts “Coffea. Colombian Coffe: Identity, Diversity, People and Terroirs”, the photography exhibition by Andrès Pardo Gòmez.

The exhibit narrates Colombian coffee culture through the hands and faces of the producers, the landscapes of the producing regions, and the processes and practices carried out by virtuos fincas.

Andrès Pardo Gomez’s project involved coffee farms, Colombian institutions and NGOs, all working to promote sustainable practices, environmental care, and social enhancement. The whole project aims at creating a network of virtuous producers, sharing and promoting sustainable and technologically-advanced cultivation methods, thus giving value to each of the actors of the coffee value chain. This work turned into a photography book, and now into the exhibition which will launch in Accademia this June.

In 2000 I left Colombia and went to Spain with the purpose of broadening my knowledge of photography. This project was created in that moment. I left my homeland with the intention of one day returning as a photographer and developing a project that tells a positive story about my country and its people. […]

Coffea is a way to spread our worldwide recognized coffee culture and identity. It is the result of the effort to give visibility to the producers who deserve recognition for their respect of the environment, their admirable relationship with the land, and their social projects. It shows the production and elaborate processes employed by coffee-producing families for generation after generation, and uncovers a complex and fascinating world. […]

This is my love letter to Colombia and its people. It is dedicated to the people working and protecting the land. I am grateful to them for making us feel proud to be Colombian and allowing the world to savor the fruit of who we are.

The photography exhibition was developed and curated by the Colombian Embassy in Rome, Italy, Cafè de Colombia, Pro Colombia and Colombia Co, and wants to promote Colombian coffee, and communicate its variety, sustainability, and diversity.

For Accademia, hosting “Coffea. Colombian Coffees: Identity, Diversity, People and Terroirs” helps to pursue the goal of shortening the distance between producers and consumers, and giving a face and a name to Colombian coffees, bringing it closer to Accademia visitors.