In Bogotá, a new art exhibition is stirring up conversation and raising eyebrows—not just for its subject matter but for the unlikely animal at its center. On November 6, 2025, the exhibition "Microdoses to Tame the Inner Hippopotamus" opened its doors at Casa Échele Cabeza, a venue known for its progressive approach to drug regulation and harm reduction, operated by the nonprofit Acción Técnica Social. The show, featuring the work of 20 Colombian artists, delves deep into the legacy of Pablo Escobar’s infamous hippos, using them as a lens to critique the political and cultural fallout of the drug war.
At the heart of the exhibition is Édgar Jiménez, a 75-year-old photographer who once served as Escobar’s personal documentarian. Jiménez’s contribution, a striking portrait titled "Adam and Eve," captures two of the first hippopotamuses Escobar brought to Colombia in the 1980s. The image, taken from just four meters away, holds a story of its own. "The hippos were bought from a zoo in the United States that buys and captures animals from Africa," Jiménez recalled, according to the Inquirer. He admitted he was unaware of the danger at the time—danger that later became all too real when that very pair of hippos attacked and killed a camel at Escobar’s sprawling Hacienda Nápoles estate.
Jiménez, who was also responsible for cataloging the menagerie Escobar assembled, doesn’t typically show his photographs in public. But this exhibition offered a rare opportunity to reflect on his unique vantage point. As he walked among the artworks, Jiménez described his photographs as documentaries, offering an unvarnished look at a surreal chapter in Colombia’s history.
The hippos, originally acquired from a U.S. zoo that sourced animals from Africa, were just the beginning. Escobar continued to add to his collection until his death in 1993. Since then, the hippo population has exploded—growing to more than 160 individuals, according to both the Inquirer and AP. Declared an invasive species, these animals now roam Colombia’s rivers and wetlands, a living legacy of narco excess and unintended consequences.
Curator Santiago Rueda emphasized that the exhibition is not about moralizing but about inviting reflection. "It’s not just Escobar, it’s the narco-madness, the excess, the luxury," Rueda explained, as quoted by the Inquirer. He pointed to the resurgence of narco-aesthetic—not only in Colombia but around the globe—as a reason for the show’s timeliness. The exhibition features a diverse range of media, from oil paintings and graffiti to photography and even a scientific experiment involving psychoactive mushrooms.
One of the most talked-about pieces is a tapestry by Carlos Castro, titled "The Great Narco Ark" ("La gran narco arca"). The tapestry depicts Escobar alongside wild animals descending two by two from a military aircraft—a clear nod to the biblical story of Noah’s Ark. As Rueda noted, the piece is a powerful symbol of how narco culture has shaped, and continues to shape, the Colombian psyche. "The narco-aesthetic is becoming dominant once again, not only in Colombia but throughout the world," Rueda said, according to AP.
Artist Manuel Barón adds a touch of dark humor to the proceedings with his work featuring a hippo nicknamed "El Gordo" (The Fat One). The piece is styled like a wanted poster, offering a reward of up to $264,000 for the animal’s capture. "It’s a parody of the drug cartels of the era, from the time when they were searching for Pablo Escobar and all the drug traffickers," Barón explained, as reported by AP. The irony isn’t lost on visitors—what was once a deadly serious manhunt is now reflected in the hunt for an animal that, through no fault of its own, has become an ecological problem.
The exhibition doesn’t shy away from the more bizarre twists of the hippos’ story. Camilo Restrepo, another participating artist, discovered that hallucinogenic mushrooms can be cultivated directly in hippo dung. In his laboratory, Restrepo managed to grow psychoactive fungi using the waste of Escobar’s hippos—a fact that serves as both a scientific curiosity and a biting commentary on the cyclical nature of the drug trade. "It’s very contradictory that, due to the failure of the war on drugs, so much money accumulates in the hands of drug traffickers that they can bring in an entire zoo, and then the hippos remain living in Colombia," Restrepo observed, according to AP.
Restrepo’s work also explores the psychological effects of different substances. He noted that the mushrooms grown in hippo dung "dissolve the ego," in stark contrast to cocaine, which "elevates it." This juxtaposition invites viewers to consider the broader implications of drug culture—not just its impact on society and the environment, but on the human mind itself.
While the exhibition is rooted in Colombia’s unique history, its themes resonate far beyond national borders. The hippos, once symbols of Escobar’s unchecked power and extravagance, have become a metaphor for the unintended consequences of the drug war. Their presence in Colombia’s rivers is a constant reminder of how the past continues to shape the present, sometimes in the most unexpected ways.
Casa Échele Cabeza, the venue for the exhibition, is itself a testament to changing attitudes toward drugs and harm reduction. By hosting this show, the organization underscores its commitment to fostering dialogue about drug policy, regulation, and the social costs of prohibition. The exhibition’s opening was a lively affair, drawing artists, critics, and curious members of the public eager to engage with the provocative works on display.
For many Colombians, the story of Escobar’s hippos is both a source of national embarrassment and a darkly comic footnote to a painful era. Yet as the exhibition makes clear, these animals have come to symbolize much more than their origins. They are living reminders of the excesses of the past, the complexities of the present, and the challenges that lie ahead as Colombia—and the world—continues to grapple with the legacies of the drug trade.
The show, with its mix of humor, critique, and scientific curiosity, offers a fresh perspective on a well-worn topic. By inviting viewers to confront the paradoxes embodied by Escobar’s hippos, "Microdoses to Tame the Inner Hippopotamus" encourages reflection, conversation, and perhaps even a bit of hope that art can help illuminate the path forward.
