«FUTURE EARTHQUAKE» FELIPE MEJÍA MEDINA

«Future Earthquake» addresses the devastation of the March 31, 1983 earthquake in Popayán, my hometown, when I was two months old. This event marked not only a significant human and material tragedy but also left an indelible mark on the collective memory of the people of Popayán. By blending traditional documentary photography with AI techniques, the project explores and questions the nature of documentary photography in the digital age. It appropriates iconic images of the earthquake and reimagines them using AI based on detailed textual descriptions to recreate the original scenes. These recreations are then integrated with the original photographs into a collage. The project aims to highlight photography’s ability to capture and preserve critical moments in history while questioning the fidelity and authenticity of visual representations in the age of AI. In essence, it asks: How can technology reinterpret and modify our understanding of the past? Every image—even documentary ones—is a recreation of reality, and by juxtaposing real images with digital recreations, it becomes evident that photography can serve both as a faithful testimony and as a subjective interpretation of historical events. This duality underscores photography’s power to evoke emotions and build memory, regardless of its origin.