Exhibition at Zurich’s Museum Rietberg shows more than “El Dorado”
Published: Wednesday, Mar 20th 2024, 17:00
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The exhibition "More than Gold" at Zurich's Museum Rietberg takes a look at pre-Hispanic Colombia. A Colombian museum and two US museums have collaborated on this traveling exhibition. Zurich is the only stop in Europe.
"More than Gold. Thoughts and Splendour of Indigenous Colombia" is not an exhibition about the El Dorado myth that is so popular in the Western view of pre-Hispanic Colombia, curator Fernanda Ugalde emphasized to the media on Wednesday.
On the contrary, this presentation places creative diversity in an indigenous perspective, far removed from the colonizers' obsession with gold. Ceramics, stone and feathers take up a lot of space here.
Objects have a soul
The indigenous community of the Arhuacos contributed their knowledge to the 400 or so objects on display from Friday. In their view, objects have a soul that is just as important as that of humans or animals. They are all part of creation.
The bowls, sculptures and pieces of jewelry in the exhibition from Colombian, North American, German and Swiss collections are therefore presented in such a way that they "feel at home there", without dating and regardless of the material used.
In the six sections of the Museum Rietberg, visitors can also learn more about the Arhuacos' world view. In a circular room wallpapered with images from nature, the exhibition virtually recreates a circle of reflection.
Like Arhuacos, visitors can sit down there to listen to the voice of a spiritual guide and reflect on the cosmic balance of the world. They will also discover philosophical quotes from indigenous people and pre-Hispanic theater masks made by a Colombian playwright.
The exhibition will be on display from March 22 to July 21. Zurich is the only stop for "More than Gold" in Europe.
©Keystone/SDA
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