“While the existing world order proves powerless to assume its responsibilities, local groups can make a real difference.” (LS 179)
Cristian Daniel Camargo of Argentina and 17 other artists from Latin America have put that message into practice during the Season of Creation.
Cristian has teamed up with artists from Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico, Venezuela, and Ecuador to make 34 drawings about the Season of Creation, one for each day of the annual celebration of prayer and action for our common home.
The ecumenical season started 1 September, the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, and finishes 4 October, the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology.
Cristian recently took time to talk about what inspired the project, what the team of artists hope to achieve through it, and what is next for the inspiring group of cartoonists.
GCCM: Can you explain your project?
Cristian: The “Network of Season of Creation Cartoonists” is an initiative that was born within the framework of the ‘LaudatoSi’fic Art’ proposal.
It’s an initiative that has the purpose of turning Laudato Si’ into diverse manifestations of art in order to propose actions of respect, care, and service to the common home.
Within this framework, the proposal to create a network/community of cartoonists to make a calendar of drawings that express the message of Laudato Si’ was born.
Our goal is to be bridges and instruments, so that through the drawings, people know the message of Laudato Si’, welcome it, and live it during their daily lives.
What made you want to do this for the Season of Creation?
Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ calls us, as artists, to be an active part of the solution, to think about a real change for our common home.
We consider, like Pope Francis, that culture has the obligation to be part of this change. We cannot do it individually, but in community.
What does the Season of Creation mean to all of you?
For us, the Season of Creation is a time to contemplate creation. So that everything we contemplate passes through our soul and ends up preaching through our drawings.
What does it mean for all of you to see the artists gathered for the Season of Creation?
It fills us with hope. First of all because all the cartoonists invited said, “YES,” without hesitation, and that speaks of the artists’ commitment to a better world.
And it is also a great sign that so many artists are betting on the community and joining community experiences that build identity at the Latin American level.
Why is it important to celebrate the Season of Creation?
It is important to dedicate a special time to it so that we can reencounter creation and recommit ourselves to it.
It is a time to give priority to our common home, to join together with other men and women, organizations that struggle daily to care for and respect the planet.
Does your project involve only Catholics or all Christians?
At this moment all the participants are Catholics, but the idea is to continue after the Season of Creation and that more cartoonists can be added.
The current group: Cristian, Luis Ezequiel Camargo, Juliana Giletta, Solange Rodriguez Lagos, Pili Piñero, Jorge Tarifa, Pablo Grado, Maria Belen Andrada Bittinger, Alexander Florez Girl, Richard Escalona, Gabriel Sebastian Cannizzo, Sislán Gabriel Vásquez Vásquez, Marcela Pauleth Rios Aguila, Cristian Fabian Nonato, Kevin Quiroz, Luis Hentiquez, Hector Freire, and Toña Olivares.