"El Río Sana: When Art Becomes Activism"

Collab: El Rio Sana a movement that merges art and environmental activism in defense of water and ecosystems.

Art has the power to transform, heal, and raise awareness. Under this premise, Josefina Zavalía Abalos and Lucila Berisso, along with many activists, gave life to "El Río Sana", a movement that merges art and environmental activism to protect water and ecosystems. In this interview, they share the origins of the initiative, its impact, and how everyone can join this cause.

The Birth of a Movement: The Healing River

—How did El Río Sana come about, and what inspired the idea of uniting art and activism?

Josefina and Lucila explain that it all started in 2020, during the pandemic, with El Bosque Sangra, the first online exhibition of denunciation art in response to intentional fires in Córdoba. With more than 200 submitted works, this initiative shed light on the ongoing ecocide and demonstrated that art can be a powerful tool for denouncing injustices and raising awareness.

Later, in Mendoza, where the fight to protect water from megamining persists, the idea evolved. The need arose to create an art activism movement that not only denounced but also healed and strengthened our connection with the Earth. This momentum grew in February of this year when they were called to join the defense of the Paraná River, opposing the Hidrovía licensing project.

As part of the Remar Contracorriente campaign, which traveled along the Paraná for 22 days with over 180 participating organizations, El Río Sana solidified as a space for artistic expression for those who could not be physically present but wanted to raise their voices through art.

Art as a Bridge to Nature

—What role does art play in this movement, and how is it connected to the river's defense?

The goal is to restore the ancestral connection with nature. In ancient times, Indigenous peoples lived in harmony with their environment, practicing rituals that intertwined their values and deep care for natural resources. Today, El Río Sana seeks to reclaim these practices, understanding that the river is a living being that needs love, protection, and respect.

The movement invites participation through communion and reflection, moving away from individualism to become a collective act. "You cannot love what you do not know," they affirm.

-How to Join This Movement?

The call is open to all artistic expressions: music, dance, performance, painting, video, poetry, textiles, jewelry, and more. To participate, simply submit a piece of art or a record of an individual or group healing ritual via WhatsApp (click here).

All artworks will be published on Instagram (@elriosana) and associated campaign accounts.

Inspiring Works and the Expected Impact

—What types of works have you received, and which one has impacted you the most?

The variety of submissions is astounding: audiovisual pieces, poetry, paintings, and more. One of the most striking works highlights the women fishers of the Paraná, chosen to open the exhibition.

—What is El Río Sana's ultimate goal?

The immediate goal is to halt the Hidrovía licensing project, which aims to turn the Paraná into a commercial highway for 80-ton cargo ships, deepening the river to 44 feet—a move that could have devastating environmental consequences.

In the long run, the movement seeks to expand ritual art as a form of activism, inspiring collective action for ecosystem protection. "A healthy Earth, healthy rivers, healthy humans," they summarize.

We are the river

—If you had to describe the future of the Paraná in an image or sensation, what would it be?

"We are the river. Our veins, our waters, are its waters. We share the same element. We are all the river."

As Eduardo Galeano said:

"We are made of water. Life sprouted from water. Rivers are the blood that nourishes the earth, and the cells that think us, the tears that cry us, and the memory that remembers us are all made of water."