THE ALLEGORIC FLOATS OF CARNIVALS OF BLACK AND WHITE

Abstract

In the context of the Andean popular Carnival of Blacks and Whites from the province of Nariño, in the South of Colombia, artists create and exhibit floats, monumental and ephemeral sculptures, which play the lead in the central part of the procession that takes place on the 6th of January, Three Kings` Day. This procession lasts many hours and goes through the main streets of cities and towns while the crowd, throughout the journey of the float, “plays” and enjoys itself in the public squares, in the streets or on the balconies of the houses. People wear make up with cosmetics of different colors, especially black, and these spectators spread streamers and talcum powder while dancing and drinking liqueur. After giving a brief account of the origin and structure of this particular festivity, the paper describes and analyzes the allegorical texts under the light of both the testimonies of popular artists from Pasto’s Carnival and the play between their bodies, the outward appearance displayed, and the imagination.