La huaca llora
Louidgi Beltrame

Within the fragmented layout of La Loge, each room displays various mediums including photographs, films, sculpture and ink works on cotton canvas. Through the diverse selection of artworks the spectator gains insight into the culture of huaqueros, grave diggers who operate within the intersection of archeology, theft and occultism. While the legality of their work can be questioned, the phenomena has pre-colonial origins and the required expertise grants the huaqueros legitimacy as “empirical archaeologists”.

The title of the exhibition, “La huaca Ilora” alludes to huacas, a word originally used for sacred places and objects, also regarded as personified entities that Andean people have a commutual relationship with.

During the excavation the huaqueros conduct a ritual to connect to the huaca, by offering cocoa and tobacco. The main objective is to collect huacos, pre-Columbian ceramic artifacts from the graves, while maintaining respect and reinforcing the notion of redistribution based on pre-colonial community values. After the exhuming of the tomb, the huaqueros partake in a cleansing ritual, by the help of local shamans known as curanderos. In exchange of the ceremony, the shamans receive huacos, meaning that the artifact circulates back into pre-Columbian traditional practices.

The artworks seen throughout the exhibition approach the subject matter in various ways: we see examples of both documentative and meditative methods of creation. The video works and photographs offer insight into the real life encounters and experiences of the artist and the subjects, while the artworks on canvas emphasize the spiritual exchange between humans and ‘other-than-human’ beings.