Martin Chambi Photography in Cusco Martin Chambi was one of the first prominent indigenous Latin American photographers known for his dramatic black and white portraits and landscapes of the Peruvian Andes and its peoples. Chambi was not only able to gain access to the lives of those he documented but depicted and forever immortalized their daily lives, triumphs, struggles, passions and fears through photography. You can visit Martin Chambi's permanent archives in Cusco with Aracari, and on a recent visit to Cusco I had the opportunity to see a one-off exhibition of his work. Cusco Photography Exhibition Now through October 19th oversized prints of Chambi’s images are on display across Cusco’s historic district, juxtaposed against the modern hustle and bustle of the emerging Andean city. The striking black and white images are presented in front of or alongside the actual streets and buildings they depict, allowing passersby to appreciate just how much Cusco has evolved in the last century. The exposition, an initiative of the Martin Chambi Photographic Archives in conjunction with Dartmouth College, showcases thirty two of Chambi’s prints in total and has already generated a resounding response from locals and foreigners alike. As I am currently on a trip for Aracari in Cusco, I had the chance to walk around and see this public Martin Chambi exhibit. The images are evocative, and what I especially love is that it brings art to the people. Just today I came across about 10 of the prints and always found at least a few people studying the images, and in some cases, small crowds were discussing which part of the street the image depicted. It is a unique way to bring the work of Martin Chambi, one of Cusco’s most famous residents, to the people of Cusco and to visitors who may
Martin Chambi Photography in Cusco Martin Chambi was one of the first prominent indigenous Latin American photographers known for his dramatic black and white portraits and landscapes of the Peruvian Andes and its peoples. Chambi was not only able to gain access to the lives of those he documented but…
The Amazon Villa, a private bungalow in the Tambopata region of the Amazon, opened in August 2014. This luxury amazon villa, located 15 minutes from the Refugio Amazonas, allows guests to experience the wonders of the rainforest with exclusive services and activities to explore the flora and fauna in privacy. See the rainforest in Style with your private Amazon Villa A stay at the Amazon Villa offers a completely customizable experience based on a choice of fifteen activities and excursions each day and a private dining room, where delicious Peruvian meals are served upon request. From the bungalow, guests can relax in one of the most biodiverse regions on earth, spotting wildlife like monkeys and exotic birds from the surrounding gardens. Creature comforts in the jungle The Amazon Villa blends with its jungle surroundings with a natural design that incorporates elements of local architecture and materials. The bungalow has a king size bed, a small desk work-space for a laptop, satellite Internet connection (no Wi-Fi as it is in the depths of the Amazon), a 40 inch flat screen TV and electricity 24/7. There is a spacious bathroom with hot water and a tub for a refreshing bath after a day exploring in the rainforest in addition to a refrigerator and microwave for guest use. The living room has an open wall with views directly to the rainforest, a dining table with six chairs where meals will be served and a cozy sitting area for relaxing. Adventures with expert Amazon Guiding Guests at the Amazon Villa have complete flexibility during their stay and can choose to have an entirely private experience or may decide to spend some time in the main lodge to meet other travelers, have a drink at the bar or enjoy a meal in the restaurant. It is based
The Amazon Villa, a private bungalow in the Tambopata region of the Amazon, opened in August 2014. This luxury amazon villa, located 15 minutes from the Refugio Amazonas, allows guests to experience the wonders of the rainforest with exclusive services and activities to explore the flora and fauna in privacy. See the…
Back in 2013 we published an article on an exhibition of works by Lima sculptor Patricia Olguín at La Galeria in Barranco after Lauren, who previously worked with Aracari, interviewed the artist. Now Patricia is has works featured at the Agora Gallery in New York City, and Lauren accompanied by James (who also worked with us in Lima) attended the inauguration on behalf of Aracari. Lima Sculptor Patricia Olguín The exhibition, called “Realms of Figuration”, showcases pieces by Patricia, who was born in New York but has been living in Lima and has exhibited works in both cities. The exhibition, which explores “real and imagined worlds” through paint, sculpture and mixed media, opened on September 16 and will be on display through October 7, 2014. You can check out Patricia’s pieces on the gallery site. Lauren and James talked with Patricia the night of the inauguration to learn a bit more about her sculptures in the current exhibit and her plans for the future. Patricia explained that these pieces are on a smaller scale because she had a limited amount of time to complete the works after being commissioned compared to the last exhibit for which she had five years to complete the sculptures. There are several pieces, like Hands Park (featured) and Sculpture, that she would like to create on a much larger scale: the size of a building if possible. Recently Patricia has been using different techniques like juxtaposing wood with resin, plating pieces in chrome and using bright pink paint. Additionally, these objects had more resemblance to human facial forms, quite distinct from her last exhibition that incorporated pieced-together shards. One of the aforementioned pieces, Hands Park, exemplifies these new techniques: bronzed female hands mounted on a set of lips hold up tree wings from which swing female
Back in 2013 we published an article on an exhibition of works by Lima sculptor Patricia Olguín at La Galeria in Barranco after Lauren, who previously worked with Aracari, interviewed the artist. Now Patricia is has works featured at the Agora Gallery in New York City, and Lauren accompanied by…
Few cities elicit in me and others a love-hate relationship as Beijing does. One thing I love about Beijing is the contrast between the old traditional Chinese and the ultra-modern: both coexist side by side. It is undoubtedly a very interesting city, but equally tough both to navigate and feel comfortable in. Most people I know don’t like it. The weather is extreme, and while I was there in the peak of summer, temperatures can go up as high as 40°C (104°F). If not as hot as that, then it is horribly polluted. So it’s no picnic. Travel in Beijing and Yunnan Because I have been to Beijing several times, and done all the usual sights (The Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven), and I have been fortunate enough to stay at an actual Hutong home at my friend´s house. This year, during my two weeks there, I decided to immerse myself in experiences that focus on aspects of Chinese culture and lifestyle. I love to eat Chinese food but don’t know how to cook it. I think it is a great idea to learn about a culture through its food, and I try to take cooking classes wherever I go (within reason). Learning to make dumplings sounded like a great opportunity, and I therefore enrolled in a day cooking class at Hutong Cuisine, where together with 10 other amateur cooks, we were taught the secrets of making boiled, steamed and pan fried dumplings. During 4 hard working hours, we learned to make the dough, chop the ingredients properly, dress them and then create the beautifully crafted dumplings. The whole process looks easy but it is a true challenge, at least for me. I haven’t yet tested the recipe but will do so soon! Daunting
Few cities elicit in me and others a love-hate relationship as Beijing does. One thing I love about Beijing is the contrast between the old traditional Chinese and the ultra-modern: both coexist side by side. It is undoubtedly a very interesting city, but equally tough both to navigate and feel…
On August 15th Aracari was invited to attend the inauguration of an exhibition of popular art at the Peruvian-North American Cultural Institute (ICPNA) curated by Aracari’s history and art specialist in Lima, John Alfredo Davis Benavides. The exhibit is free to the public and will be on display from now until the 28th of September. Peruvian Popular Art Exhibition in Lima John Alfredo, along with two other curators, artist Jaime Liébana and owner of Las Pallas arts and handicrafts shop, Mari Solari, collaborated to assemble this exhibit with over 300 pieces on display. It is the final exhibit in a series on popular art that began over a decade ago at the ICPNA, which was co-sponsored by the University of Ricardo Palma in Lima. The exhibits have been organized by region, theme, subject and medium, but this last one was the most ambitious, aiming to take on the concept of popular art as a whole. On a Friday evening, people crowded into the Germán Krüger Espantoso Gallery at the ICPNA in Miraflores for the opening of the exhibition titled, “Arte Popular? Tradiciones Sin Tiempo”, which translates as, “Popular Art? Timeless Traditions”. After a warm introduction from the director at the ICPNA, John Alfredo spoke to the audience about the exhibition and the general question it provokes, which is, about popular art being treated as real art rather than cultural artifacts or crafts. He continued to explain briefly the organization of the exhibit, which was ultimately arranged into three categories: ethnic art, rural art and urban art. After his words, the crowd broke up and perused the gallery, munching on hors d’ouerves and sipping wine that was provided at the event. A few days after the inauguration, we sat down over a coffee with John Alfredo in his workshop to talk
On August 15th Aracari was invited to attend the inauguration of an exhibition of popular art at the Peruvian-North American Cultural Institute (ICPNA) curated by Aracari’s history and art specialist in Lima, John Alfredo Davis Benavides. The exhibit is free to the public and will be on display from now…
