Water Ecosystem: Activities.

The activities surrounding the exhibition “Water Ecosystem” revolved around one question: How can we apply knowledge of the natural world into art? And, how can the coastal landscape, water sources and management and vegetable fibers from the wetlands be incorporated into art, design and architecture projects in a sustainable manner?

Guided visit
Ana Teresa Barboza and Rafael Freyre hosted a guided visit where they shared the reflections and insights gained during the installation assembly process, as well as answering questions from the assistants. Barboza and Freyre’s first collaborative work was 2017’s Destejer la Imagen (Unweave the Image), a series of pieces made from natural fibers and local rock types. Together, they have since explored the relationship between body and ecosystem, driven by a common interest in natural materials, artisanal traditions and the history that forms in each place. This way, they developed a particular interest in the wetlands and the link between pre-Hispanic civilizations and the coastal ecosystems of Peru.

Water sources: Technologies for water care and filtering

A panel discussion by Marino Morikawa, an environmentalist and scientist, and Arturo Alfaro, activist and director for NGO VIDA, about the issues affecting the wetlands and other natural water sources in Peru. Marino is a specialist in wetland and lake recovery by means of bio- and nanotechnologies. Arturo is dedicated to the betterment of public health conditions and is the national coordinator for the international Coastal and River Cleanup Campaign.

Junco and totora basketry laboratory

The Goicochea brothers hosted a junco and totora basketry workshop. Samuel, Ever and David are the collaborating artists behind the woven junco and totora pieces in “Water Ecosystem”. The family tradition was passed on to them by their parents, who were traditional matara and junco weavers from Cajamarca. Presently, the whole family shares a workshop in Lima where they work both together and independently.

Junco and totora designs

An exhibition and discussion featuring researcher Samuel Charca, designers Ricardo Geldrés and Alvaro Chang-Say and artist Juan Pacheco about weaving with vegetable fibers and their possible uses with contemporary technologies.

Samuel Charca is at present researching the use of natural fibers to reinforce compound laminate materials. The common thread in the works of Ricardo Geldres, Alvaro Chang Say and Juan Pacheco is their exploration of local materials and worldviews. Alvaro’s work is based around the recycling of non-conventional materials. Other than the promotion of recycling, Ricardo aims to recover artisanal techniques or the use of low technology. Juan boasts a long trajectory in weaving. He invented the Peruvian knit in 1992, and has gone on to knit fibers, metals and LED hoses since. He describes his work as neoancestral, as it seeks to transform works found in archeology into contemporary art pieces.

The panel discussion included a three-week exhibition showcasing pieces by Ricardo, Álvaro, Juan, Ana and Rafael. 

Scenic Landscapes
The LOT Association for Theater Research (La Otra Orilla – The Other Shore) presented a panel discussion and performance titled Paisajes Escénicos (Scenic Landscapes). Led by Carlos Cueva and a group of artists from varied backgrounds, LOT explores the relationship between body, space and the arts. Since its foundation in 1988, LOT has produced theater plays and publications, as well as generating teaching spaces that follow in the legacy of the art vanguards. The panel discussion featured a review of experiences from LOT’s portfolio based on reflections about the landscape. Among them is Urban Landscapes, LOT’s first project to approach the subject of desert and water scarcity in the coast of Peru. The project sparked the research efforts that led to the exhibition Water Ecosystem.

Another feature was the participation of anthropologist and researcher Mijail Mitrovic, who presented the lecture “Subject, space and utopia.” 

A visit to Ana and Rafael’s workshop
Finally, Ana Teresa and Rafael opened the doors to their workshop in Barranco to share their artistic processes and the references that inspire their work.

“Water Ecosystem” by Ana Teresa Barboza and Rafael Freyre is the winner project of MAC Lima’s 2019 Art and Innovation Award, sponsored by UTEC – Engineering and Technology University and BBVA Foundation Peru.