Madrid, 20 August 2012
Extended until 23 September, “Mapuche: Semillas de Chile” is currently on view at the Museo de América in Madrid. Similarly, the exhibition “Con manto y saya: la tapada limeña” will be on view until 30 September.
The Museo de América in Madrid, in collaboration with the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art, Fundación Chile, Spain and the Embassy of Chile, presents the traveling exhibition “Mapuche: Semillas de Chile”, which has been displayed in major cities including Beijing and Bogotá before its arrival to Madrid. The exhibition features a selection of around three hundred ethnographic and artistic works as well as photographs depicting the past and the present reality of the indigenous people of south-central Chile. Known for their strong resistance against the Spanish colonization of their territory and later attempts of assimilation of the Republic, the Mapuche are now an agricultural community consisting of approximately six hundred thousand people, who maintain close ties to their land.
The exhibition is designed to present Mapuche discourses on their own history and culture with an emphasis on the beautiful poetry, music, and beliefs, revolving around the concept of Mapu, which means “men of the earth.” Images capturing the lakes, volcanoes, and forests of the South American landscape are displayed alongside Spanish and Mapudungun texts discussing the worldview and culture of this ancient town.
After displaying in Madrid, the exhibition will travel to Cadiz for the occasion of the bicentennial of the Constitution of 1812.
“Con manto y saya: la tapada limeña” is also on view at the museum until 30 September. In collaboration with the Museum of Costume, Museo de América presents a collection of prints which illustrate the use and design of Peruvian women’s clothing, popular among the wealthy classes. Exploring the typical “cloaked” female figure of colonial Lima, with the partially exposed face, this exhibition offers a selection of original drawings on rice paper, illustrating this cultural female figure as well as various interactive accompanying activities which investigate the origin, meaning and context of the “cloaked” figure, both in America and in Spain.