Bombing of Poems: Epilogue

On May 14, the anniversary of the bombing of Rotterdam, Poetry International and the Chilean art collective Casagrande present a special Rotterdam edition of Bombing of Poems. During the festival, we will reflect on this extraordinary event, which serves both as a commemoration of the past and a celebration of poetry in all its forms. 

Bombing of Poems is an international art project in which 100.000 of printed poems are released from the sky over cities with a history of wartime destruction. This poetic intervention has previously taken place in cities such as London, Guernica, and Warsaw and now, exactly 85 years after Rotterdam’s devastation, it arrives here. 

In this program, we will screen the aftermovie of Bombing of Poems and engage in conversation with the creators: the members of Casagrande. The conversation will be led by moderator Chery Salinas. Together, we will explore the significance of the poems, the act of remembrance, and the impact of art in public space. Visitors will also have the opportunity to ask questions and engage in dialogue with the artists behind this remarkable project.

Cristóbal Bianchi 

Cristóbal Bianchi is a Chilean artist, poet, and scholar working at the intersection of poetry, performance, and social change. He is a co-founder of the Casagrande art collective, which has organized large-scale artistic interventions since 1996, including the world-renowned Bombing of Poems. This project involves dropping thousands of printed poems over cities with a history of wartime bombings, including London, Guernica, and Warsaw – and in 2025, Rotterdam. In addition to his artistic work, Bianchi is an Assistant Professor at the School of Art & Design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He holds a PhD in Cultural Studies from Goldsmiths, University of London, and was a research fellow at the Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics at NYU. His work focuses on the relationship between poetry, memory, and social engagement. 

Joaquín Prieto

Joaquín Prieto is a Chilean poet and artist, co-founder of Casagrande, and one of the driving forces behind the collective’s art projects. Since Casagrande’s inception in 1996, he has contributed to innovative artistic actions that merge poetry with performance and public space. His work is rooted in reinterpreting historical memory and social issues, using poetry as a powerful tool for dialogue and reflection. In addition to Bombing of Poems, Prieto has collaborated on various literary and visual art projects executed worldwide. His artistic approach is interdisciplinary, constantly seeking new ways to address historical and contemporary conflicts. 

Julio Carrasco 

Julio Carrasco is a Chilean poet, visual artist, and co-founder of Casagrande. Within the collective, he has played a key role in developing concepts and executing their groundbreaking artistic projects. He is co-responsible for the Bombing of Poems concept, an artistic intervention that brings literary art into the public space through aerial performances. Carrasco’s work explores the interplay between words and space, using poetry to reconsider collective memory and the impact of conflicts. His involvement with Casagrande has led to international recognition as an artist who blurs the boundaries between literature, visual art, and performance.