2026medellínBello Oriente (Comuna 3)colombia

la comunidad preciosa

in English: “the precious community”

In Bello Oriente, a mountainside neighborhood in Medellín’s Comuna 3, children tell the story of their neighborhood through photography, walking, and writing, with Señales de Humo.

“Our neighborhood is called Bello Oriente. It’s a very quiet and very pretty neighborhood, perched on a mountain in Comuna 3.” Walking, observing, photographing, then putting into words what you see, what you live every day, and what you would like to change: that is where the project begins.

Nobody takes pictures from behind closed doors: we walk the neighborhood, watching how people use it, the paths, the places to meet and play, the views over Medellín. Writing comes next, to name the images, explain them, and turn them into a story.

In the children’s texts, friendship comes up again and again: “my best friends,” “unity,” “the love of friends.” There is also the park, the hill, the trees, the houses, the city seen from above. They say what is beautiful, what wears them out, what worries them, and what they would like to see in the neighborhood: “a futuristic school, a park.”

the exhibition

la comunidad preciosa, wall by wall

Five posters: the presentation of the project, the children's photographs with their titles and their words in Spanish, then two black-and-white posters.

wall 01

wall 02

mis amigas

Ellas son muy amigas conmigo. Falto yo, la que está acostada, y con esto río bueno.

las mejores amigas de vivir

Mirando la ciudad mientras que están bonitas las mejores amigas.

las tres amigas

Mis amigas se llevan bien. Hacemos una buena amistad y lo que los hace unidas.

los amigos posando

Polito es muy buena persona. Dilan es un buen amigo. Esto es una sentada mirando la ciudad y le encanta. La ciudad es bella. Los dos locos en el parque. Ellos son locos porque mantienen haciendo locuras. Y elegí esta foto porque son mis amigos. Todos son unos buenos amigos en comunidad.