ISSA Colombia \ The World's First Underground Sculpture Park

The First International Sculpture Underground Symposium, and ISSA Colombian, was organized by the Colombian SAS Memorial Underground Museum Association and took place from February 13 to March 13, 2023 at the Cathedral of Zipaquera, near the capital Bogotá.

Twenty-two internationally renowned sculptors from 19 countries and 4 continents carved 11 reliefs of 400 x 500 cm in the salt rock of 2 underground caves near the Sal Cathedral. Another 11 sculptors carved marble sculptures of 220 x 120 x 100 cm outside the mines. These 11 monumental sculptures will be transferred to the interior of the museum when its construction is completed.

The theme "Ancestors and Symbols" was chosen for the sculpture symposium to seek unity as human beings, to identify universal ancestral similarities, and to contribute to world peace.

The event aims to attract the attention of the international community and will continue to be renewed on an annual or biennial basis. This international sculpture symposium provides additional added value to the Sal Cathedral in Zipaquera, Colombia. It enriches the public space, promotes tourism in the cathedral and the area, and leaves a cultural heritage for future generations.