Drifting Away (Spanish: Río Abajo), a 2008 photographic series by Colombian artist Erika Diettes, presents twenty-six large-format images of clothing submerged in water, drawn from the possessions of victims of forced disappearance. The project was created through fieldwork across regions including Eastern Antioquia, Chocó, Caquetá, and Bogotá.
The series responds to the Colombian armed conflict, which for decades has involved guerrilla forces, paramilitaries, and state actors, leading to hundreds of thousands of deaths and disappearances. A grim saying popular in Colombia—"the rivers of Colombia are the world’s largest graveyard"—underscores the symbolic and literal force of the project.
Thematically, Drifting Away interrogates how loss is carried in material remnants. By focusing on personal garments donated by families, the series asks how mourning can occur in the absence of a body. It aims to rehumanize victims, symbolically return dignity, and confront the viewer with the enduring weight of grief. Diettes sees her practice not as self-expression, but as a resource to help others navigate pain, reflecting a broader engagement with social justice and memorial work.
Visually, the photographs show clothing floating in clear water, lit softly in a studio setting to create a calm, reflective atmosphere. Printed on tall glass panels and placed upright, the images resemble tombstones or stained-glass windows. Inviting viewers to walk among images like mourners through a cemetery, the installation’s format has allowed communities to reclaim the act of burial through symbolic means, blending artistic gesture with civic memory.
Reception crystallized through community premieres in Granada and La Unión (2008) and international showings at FotoFest Biennial and, later, Museo de las Américas, Denver (collection, 2023). Recognition includes a Visionary Awards finalist nod (2015) and the Tim Hetherington Trust/World Press Photo Fellowship (2017–18), with Memento Mori (2015) consolidating the project in print.
