A Covenant of the World's Sorcerers in Bogotá
Since 2018, Colombia’s First World Congress of Sorcery, a transgressive event that brought nearly 3,000 people to Bogotá in 1975, has been a significant part of my research and public humanities work. Largely forgotten by scholars, the Congress anticipated the intercultural and interspiritual explorations that shape contemporary culture. Shaped by the slogan "In the Shadow of the Unknown with Love and Wonderment," its contributions deserve to be known.
As with many histories at the fringes of institutional interest, much of the Congress’s archive survives in personal documents, family photographs, oral histories, and press accounts. A large portion of my efforts has focused on gathering materials in Colombia and abroad to develop its first historical narrative. This work resulted in the first chapter of my doctoral dissertation, “Bogotá Brew: The First World Congress of Sorcery,” which examines the Congress through its intellectual networks, art exhibitions, and presentations of ritual and performance art.
I have also written about the Congress’s paradoxical position as a countercultural event in Colombia and its relationship to the epistemological and spiritual shifts brought by the massive use of psychedelics. With the support of a postdoctoral grant from the Institute for Studies on Latin American Art (ISLAA), I will continue this research through archival work on the Congress’ regional influence and the development of a book manuscript.
Image: Alejandro Obregón Rosés’ poster for the First World Congress of Sorcery, 1975. Digital reproduction of the original print by David Escobar.
Brujxs de Otraparte
Brujxs de Otraparte
Brujxs de Otraparte
Simón González, organizer of the Congress, was closely associated with Gonzalo Arango and the Nadaísmo movement. His father, Fernando González, a writer also known as the Brujo de Otraparte, became a revered figure among the nadaístas. Mysticism, philosophy, and the politics of civil disobedience characterized their work.
Image: Gonzalo Arango and Rosemary Smith, 1970, BPP.
Archival Research
Brujxs de Otraparte
Brujxs de Otraparte
Major news outlets covered the Congress’s proceedings, illustrious guests, and revolutionary propositions, sparking fierce debate. The event sat uneasily at the intersection of social transformation, spiritual transcendence, and cultural reification; an uncanny mirror of the conflicts shaping contemporary culture.
Image: Dr. Andrew Weil's account of the Congress for Rolling Stone, 1975.
Public Outreach
Public Outreach
Public Outreach
A young generation of artists, thinkers, and spiritual seekers attended the Congress and its associated public fair, drawing 300,000 visitors. Through public events that emulate this ethos of intellectual and spiritual promiscuity, such as Conjuro, my work brings specialized knowledge on art, spirituality, and politics to broad audiences.
Photo: Aurea Oliveira Santos presenting at Conjuro, 2025.
Multimedia
Public Outreach
Public Outreach
A Prime Video documentary and an NPR podcast episode have been effective platforms for sharing the Congress’ historical significance and its message of interdependence. Through a spiritually permeable lens on identity politics, the Congress offers a roadmap for political change that resonates with audiences today.
Still: S. Zaraza and R. de Zubiría, Congreso Internacional de Brujería, 2022.