Argentine artist Marcelo Toledo presents “Ancestral Intelligence” at the Argentine consulate in New York (EFE/Ruth E. Hernández)
The culture of ancestral peoples has been present throughout the work of the Argentine goldsmith artist Marcelo Toledo, who inaugurated Ancestral Intelligence in New York where he once again exhibits works of contemporary art that speak of the native peoples of Latin America.
The name Ancestral Intelligence (AI) is similar to that of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and was chosen on purpose because, according to the goldsmith, despite the fact that the native peoples worked in a rudimentary way “they had intelligence that surpasses us today, techniques that still “They continue to be used, works that last.”
The exhibition, a product of what he has learned from his travels to learn more about the native peoples, also has the purpose of taking an inside look at “our Hispanic and aboriginal roots” because “someone who does not know their past, it is very difficult to can do something for his future.”
The culture of ancestral peoples has been present throughout the work of the Argentine artist (EFE/Ruth E. Hernández)
The idea, adds the artist who is exhibiting until October 31 at the Argentine Consulate, is to draw a common thread that takes us from the past to the present.”
This work consists mostly of masks made of silver and copper with natural chaguar fiber textile, an original plant from northeastern Argentina.
“I work a lot with the Wichis and Tobar communities where the women go to the mountains and cut the chaguar, a vegetable with a leaf similar to the aloe vera, which they crush to extract the water and only the fiber remains. which they then take out a kind of thread”, which he uses for his works, he explained.
He recalled that many years ago he traveled to learn about the technique of different communities in Latin America, “but when I met it, they began to trust me and tell me about their problems.”
“Ancestral Intelligence” exhibits works of contemporary art that speak of the indigenous peoples of Latin America (EFE/Ruth E. Hernández)
Then, he added, he began to use his techniques, aesthetics and rituals “to tell about things that happen within the original towns” such as child labor, which can go unnoticed by tourists.
As part of the exhibition, Toledo shows some small tapestries made by children with the idea of denouncing child labor.
Also part of “Ancestral Intelligence” is his version of the altar dedicated to a young woman who disappeared from her tribe, which consists of a “pollera” (skirt), the only thing that was found of the girl “to ask her to return.”
The small masks by Toledo, who designed the jewelry used for the play “Evita” that starred Ricky Martin and Elena Roger on Broadway, carry the message of “not being able to speak,” “hear,” or “see” and some hanging sculptures made with textile techniques from the Paracas culture of Peru, on the coast south of Lima
Toledo will then go to Washington where he will display a gigantic blanket at the Embassy.
Source: Efe
2023-10-09 17:58:00
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