Peru's participation in the 2018 World Cup allowed us to showcase the best of the country internationally. Peru’s country brand Marca Perú therefore planned various promotional activities at Casa Peru, including an exhibition of Amazonian art.
The exhibition entitled “The Seeds of the Gods. Entheogenic Art in the Peruvian Amazon”, was curated by the renowned artist Christian Bendayán, with the participation of nine other people. They submitted their artwork, which brought the color and world view of the Peruvian rainforest to Russia.
As you know, Casa Peru opened its doors on June 18 - 28 at the Moscow Manège, an iconic 4,700 m2 building located just a stone's throw from Red Square. Peruvian tourist destinations, culture and cuisine were promoted here, and Peru's star exports, such as pisco, cocoa and specialty coffees, were also presented to the foreign audience.
Talking about the exhibition, Bendayán explained that "the aim is not only to showcase the Amazon region of Peru as a source of natural wealth, but also as a space for thinking about the country as a whole, where it is essential to understand and preserve knowledge of the region which is most vital for the future of the world".
According to the artist, the Peruvian Amazon is home to the largest number of Amazonian language families in the Americas and the greatest diversity of Peruvian ethnicities. In each of these, the culture, world views, myths and stories are closely linked to the proper use of plants and their healing and “entheogenic” powers; i.e. they may be inspired by a god and the “birth” that this implies.
Among the activities offered by Casa Peru in the 11 days that it was opened to the public, there were exhibitions of Andean masks, photographs of the coast, food tastings and shows by the National Folklore Ensemble and La Patronal, among others.
In addition to Casa Peru in Moscow, there was a Mobile Casa Peru which traveled through Russian cities where the Peruvian national team met its rivals, carrying out various promotional activities and persuading visitors from all over the world to become “fans” of the country. Currently, there is a Virtual Casa Peru which can be visited at www.casaperu.pe
Casa Peru was an effort led by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, through PROMPERÚ, and has the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, the Association of Exporters (ADEX) and the regional governments of Tacna, Ica, Piura, Lima, Junín, Arequipa and Cusco, where many of the products to be presented come from.
THE TEAM OF ARTISTS:
- Santiago Yahuarcani.
- Graciela Arias.
- Dimas Paredes.
- Lastenia Canayo.
- Pablo Amaringo.
- Musuk Nolte.
- Harry Chávez.
- Kylla Piqueras.
- Ana Cecilia Gonzales Vigil.