Website of Gestos de la Poesia with archive of past and current videos and information about the project.
Pina Piccolo: We are very grateful to you for the opportunity to be in conversation today, especially since international dialogue among poets seems to be at the core of the mission of your initiative. Could you please sketch out how Gestos de la Poesia was born, and what its goals and activities are today. How did you get involved with it?
Ikaro Valderrama: Gestures of Poetry was born in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic. This initiative was led by poet and professor Francia Elena Goenaga, from the Department of Literature at the Universidad de los Andes; Ximena Guerrero, director of the Cultural Center of the Universidad de los Andes; and myself, a poet and graduate of the same institution.
The idea was to bring poetry to the general public, understood not as a literary genre but as a human and artistic experience that has a wide spectrum of manifestations: through oral tradition, performance, film, painting, and, naturally, writing, among many other expressions of the poetic act.
P.P.: I am intrigued that the initiative is headquartered at the University of the Andes. Though it is not unusual for universities to sponsor this type of project, it is highly unusual for a university to bear the name of a mountain range instead of a city or other, human-made reference point. How do you think this specific, natural location colors the overall perspective of the initiative and makes it different from many others? What are its advantages and potential weak point vis a vis other transnational, literary initiatives?
I.V.: It’s an interesting question. This is one of the most important universities in Colombia and Latin America, and although it’s a private university, all digital repositories and in-person events are free to access. Under the current government the university library also became public… Every year, the Universidad de los Andes de Colombia hosts a World Music Festival, inviting artists from different countries. It also holds a jazz festival, a singer-songwriter’s festival and a theater festival, with top-level international guests. All of this is coordinated by the Cultural Center, which is the same department of the University that organizes Gestures of Poetry. Many years ago, the legendary Jorge Luis Borges visited the University. And last year, the Italian poet Mia Lecomte (whom I consider one of the most important living poets in Europe) also visited the University. She recited her verses and shared with professors and students. So, there’s definitely a very strong cultural movement at the University, and I think the name must have something to do with it. Some mystics have considered the Himalayas to be the earthly expression of Kundalini energy, and some point out that this energy has now shifted to the Andes Mountains, a place where a powerful spiritual and cultural awakening is taking place right now.
P.P.: Starting from the name, Gestos de la Poesia, I am intrigued by the specific word Gestos, which draws attention away from ‘voice’ and highlights a gestural, perhaps theatrical dimension. In poetry one often hears of ‘movements’, some times of ‘performance’ which entails a physical dimension of the body of the of the poet, but what about ‘gestos’ can you explore for us the connotations of this noun as applied to poetry?
I.V.: When we began organizing the first edition of Gestures of Poetry in 2020, Ximena Guerrero, Francia Goenaga, and I had an online meeting. At the time, I was editing a book by Francia Goenaga with my independent publishing house, the title of the book is “The Alphabet of Fire.” And one of its verses is this: “Poetry is also born from Gesture.” (“La poesía nace también del gesto”)… I suggested that the event be called Gestures of Poetry, precisely because the word gesture has that subtle character that encompasses many artistic and vital expressions. If we consider poetry as a spirit, as a being, it is beautiful to visualize that being called poetry making different gestures, which are the poetic expressions we seek to convey with our event. Since 2022, Francia Goenaga is no longer with us on the editorial committee. She retired and now lives a hermit life somewhere in Santander, Colombia. In her place, the Editorial Committee has been joined by Biswadip Chakravorty, a renowned Bengali editor who nominates two Indian poets each year, and Mia Lecomte, who from her literary agency also recommends two poets for the event each year.
P.P.: Over the years, there have been many initiatives aimed at bringing poets across the world together in festivals, simultaneous readings, conferences and the like. In these chaotic times, and with the encroaching of technology on creativity and the arts, when many of what were believed to be firm points of the art are being challenged, how do you see “Gestos de la Poesia” contributing to the resistance and renaissance of the poetic arts?
I.V.: From my perspective, the digital world has gone from being exceptional to becoming an everyday occurrence. However, not all artistic expressions have been able to make the leap to the digital world with the same fluidity. And this is interesting in the case of poetry. Although there are notable initiatives (such as that of Chilean poet Óscar Saavedra and his poetry festival on TikTok, or the Medellín International Poetry Festival, which broadcasts all its recitals live on YouTube), spaces for poetry on social media remain very few. Or perhaps they are not limited, but little known. In this sense, the contribution of an important institution like the Universidad de los Andes is valuable, as is the interest of powerful independent platforms (such as The Dreaming Machine, The Antonym Magazine, or Lingua Franca) in seeking to establish these transoceanic connections that strengthen the presence of poetic gestures in the contemporary world. I think the word “resistance” in this context is more than appropriate, because, for example, holding the curatorship of Gestures of Poetry for the sixth year has not been easy. It is a challenge to maintain the presence of a literary segment on social media and the university website. And without meaning to be pretentious, I think no one could question the fact that without my persistence this event would have ceased to exist years ago. That’s another poetic gesture. The gesture that makes the manifestation of the poetic possible. And although we may be tempted to call it a “political gesture,” it is, in my opinion, truly one of the expressions of the spirit of poetry.
P.P.: How have students been integrated in the project, both as audience and as creators of poetry? How has the community outside the university responded? Aside from the online recordings and readings, do you also hold events in physical places? If yes, have you noticed any changes in their character over the past five years?
I.V.: This question must be answered from two perspectives, as you rightly point out. The first is that of the university audience. The primary recipients of all the online material from Gestures of Poetry are the students, professors, but also all the employees (secretaries, administrative staff, cleaning staff, cafeteria staff, security team, etc.) and their families. But at the same time, digital expansion brings the poems to the general public, not only in Colombia but around the world. Yes, because when you have a poet from Venezuela, or an Argentine poet, or a Russian or English poet, you know that the recitals will reach those territories and the poetry readers who are connected to the participants. That’s very beautiful. Analyzing the metadata and seeing that Gestures of Poetry were viewed in Nepal, Calcutta, Peru, Brazil, Italy, Siberia, among many other places.
The second perspective to answer your question is that of the creators. And it is that from the University have graduated important writers and poets, such as Piedad Bonnet or Andrea Cote, as well as other less famous but very good poets. An emblematic case is that of the young poet Manuela del Alma, my friend, graduate of the literature department, who passed away this year. Her verses are wonderful, but unfortunately, she was unable to see her collection of poems published in her lifetime.
In 2025, we organized weekly poetry readings on the university campus with young poets, like Manuela, and experienced and renowned poets in the field, like Victor López Rache. As I mentioned, Mia Lecomte also participated as an international guest. This was a wonderful experience, both for the local poets who were able to participate and share their verses, and for the university audience who were fortunate enough to hear them.
P.P.: Could you please give us some examples of readings and discussions that have been very fruitful and sparked a lot of debate and interest?
I.V.: It would be impolite to single out some poets over others, as no single gesture is better or more memorable than another. But it’s worth highlighting the presence of Hugo Mujica in our first 2020 edition, a poetry legend in dialogue with two young Colombian poets—a very beautiful experience. Also significant are the launch of Peyote Road, an unpublished work by the Native American poet (based in Italy), Lance Henson; each and every one of the readings by Bengali poets, translated into Spanish for the first time, courtesy of The Antonym Magazine; the video poem by poet Pinna Piccolo, who poses an ecological poetic critique through images and verse; the reading by four Afro-Colombian poets, heirs and transmitters of the poetic style known as “Decimas del Pacífico”; the poetry workshop for children “Poejuguemos,” held online and led by Chilean poet and educator Óscar Saavedra; as well as each and every one of the more than 60 readings and recitals by poets from different countries who have participated in our event.
P.P.: Could you please talk about the multi-disciplinary, multi-media aspects of the initiative,
I.V.: How to create a space that, although it is not exactly a performance, exalts the living voice of contemporary poets and the possible connections with other arts? This question has motivated a dialogue between the Cultural Center and the Literature Department of the Universidad de los Andes, from which Gestos de la Poesía (Gestures of Poetry) arises. This is a cultural initiative that every semester summons poets from different nationalities to share their art and create a repository of live, prerecorded poetic voices, where the reading of the poem is combined with other performing arts, or simply a read aloud prepared especially for the occasion.
Digital language is a multidisciplinary language per se. It combines sound, image, and the written word. I remember that a few years ago it was a privilege to be able to see and hear authors like Julio Cortazar, Borges, and Kundera. They were interviews broadcast on Spanish television. Although it’s not essential, it’s an interesting experience to meet the person behind the verses, the creator. Understanding their influences, their writing routines—at least that’s what I’ve always enjoyed. These encounters with authors are a way to unravel poetic art, the creative process. Previously, only the most published authors had the opportunity to give mass interviews for TV. Now, thanks to spaces like Gestures of Poetry, we can meet emerging authors, new voices, or silenced voices. And of course, also very well-known authors (we had the pleasure, for example, of having Stephen Watts, three years ago). This is one of the interesting aspects of Gestures of Poetry: the interviews and conversations with one or more poets. I find it extremely interesting to bring a Mexican poet and a Bengali poet together in the same space to discuss them, especially because the connections between them outweigh the distances. There’s a whole literary background (a history of literature) that allows us to have a common language from the start. Let’s say that García Márquez, Cervantes, and Rilke already wove a dialogue to which contemporary poets are heirs.
And of course, there are also the multiple artistic poetic expressions of the creators. For example, two years ago we had a film by Shankar Lahiri, a film about poetry and poets, spectacular. That man is a genius. And if it hadn’t been for the alliances we’ve generated through Gestures of Poetry, that film would never have been translated into Spanish. It seems miraculous to me how the spirit of poetry connected me, a Colombian poet and editor, with an editor and writer from Calcutta (Biswadip Chakravorty), and that thanks to that, we have the opportunity (the privilege) to meet contemporary poets from India who haven’t even been translated into English.
This year we will feature New Zealand as a special guest. Contemporary New Zealand poetry is very little known in Spanish. Not to say unknown. I published a book by James K. Baxter in 2020, the first independent translation into Spanish of one of the most recognized NZ authors; last year we had two Māori poets in Gestures of Poetry. And this year (thanks to the spirit of Poetry) we will have seven contemporary New Zealand poets, translated into Spanish for the first time, thanks to the work of Trevor Hayes, a translator and scholar of New Zealand poetry and culture. Trevor is now part of our editorial committee. Not only will we feature video readings from each poet (which are wonderful to watch and listen to), but we’ll also be featuring our usual digital anthology. We’ve worked with one of Latin America’s best editorial designers, Camila Cesarino, since the beginning of the project. That’s why all of the Gestos de la Poesía digital anthologies have a unique stamp, a curation that, in addition to highlighting the importance of contemporary multiplicity of languages, pays tribute to the book as an object.
P.P.: Thank you so much for agreeing to give your time for this interview, it is much appreciated by our readers and it will undoubtedly have ripple effects on the community.
I.V.: Thanks to you. We hope this interview opens more doors to continue forging connections between the University of the Andes and poets and poet-artists from around the world.
Here is a small selection made by The Dreaming Machine of readings and discussions from the Gestos de la Poesia project:
