THE PERIPLUS

Peregrination of "mamacha" of Paucartambo, Kosñipata, Cuzco.

Of the Periplus on the way to the Sails.

This research project has as precedent a previous experience developed within the practices of "Vodu", "Santeria" or " Regla de Ocha", "Regla de Palo Monte", "Culto de Ifá", "Espiritismo de Cordón u Orilé", etc, which were current practices in the Caribean countries, part of Central America and particularly in Cuba where the proponent developed his work.

As a result of this period of research several series of plastic art pieces and some essays partially published in briefings.

Among the plastic pieces a series of paints as "The Cuban Furniture" and "The Raing Maker Temdulant" were exposed between 1997-2000 in La Havana-Cuba and in New York City-USA through the "Center of Cuban Studies". At the present time I am developing what would be the most important part of this project now in the Peruvian Amazon Jungle and highlands of the Sierra alternating trips and workshops in Lima.

At the present time I am developing what would be the most important part of this project now in the Peruvian Amazon Jungle and highlands of the Sierra alternating trips and workshops in Lima.

See the series:“Of the Periplus on the way to the Sails” y “Let me Tell the Tale”.

For the period of this investigation, I propuse to carry out an extensive "periplus" through communities and that I have not been able to visit for the long distances between them and for the inclement climate conditions and territory.

During the whole journey I will have acces to an Internet Web site to keep updated the details of the investigation, documents, images, recordings and to exchange approaches in real time as well as to have all the material, available to institutions involved for any type of publication and/or consult.

Given the investigative proposal of my plastic work and thanks to the information gathered among 1996-2000, the focus of the present work is based on three fundamental points:

Spiritual Table.

1. It makes aware of itself. (The self involvement)

· Possible origin or "time of origin"

· Present ethnic composition.

· Social projections as human group

· Production, distribution, exchange and consumption patern and relation ship.

2. Exchanges. · Forms of knowledge and/or information transmission.

· Forms of transmission of the cultural patterns.

· Ritualization of the knowledge.

3. Strategies to face the dicotomy "deculturation-acculturation " imposed by the contemporany time.

· View of the contemporary world.

· Most common postures.

· Vulnerability factors.

Altahar to "Babalú Aye '" (San Lazaro) one of the venerated personages but of the afrocuban pantheon.

For the detailed study of the proposed points the sole exhaustive investigative method free of valuation to-priori, is the "coexistence" with previous coordination with the districts authorities, then I will travel inside Peru through the following routes:

· Lima-Cuzco-Puerto Maldonado: In the department of the Cuzco, province of Paucartambo, district of Kosñipata, group denominated "Amarakaeri" will be seen; of the linguistic family Harakmabet, denominated by themselves Harakmbut. This group has resisted several evangelizations attempts, from the first expeditions (Pedro of Candia and Alvares of Maldonado 1567-1568), until that of the convent of Santo Domingo, Cuzco (1768), all failed. The first big contacts were carried out in the period 1970-1979, while the construction of the highway Cuzco-Madre de Dios. In the 80's Madre de Dios Native Federation, institution interethnic of representation that is believed that can provide of information and interpreters in the course of this work.

This group with an approximate population of 1,623 habitants divided in some 10 communities according to the census of 1997, is divided in several sub-groups: amarakaeri, arasaeri, toyoeri, sapiteri, kisamberi, pukirieri and huachipaeri belonging all of them to the same linguistic trunk, taken the name of Amarakaeri because this sub-group is demographically dominant. In this area that crosses the National Reserve of Biosphere called the Manu (established from 1973 with an extension of 1'532,806 hectares between Cuzco and Madre de Dios), although with smaller representativeness it could be seen communities of the linguistic families Pano and Cahuapana, belonging also to Madre de Dios Native Federation (FENAMAD) and with total disposition to cooperate.

Local cult to the "Compadrito Boy", zone of Cuzco in Peru.

Altahar to espiritus ancestral "Huasao", zone of Cuzco, Peru.

Puerto Maldonado-Pucallpa: Belonging to the Linguistic Family Pano in the department of Huanuco, province of Puerto Inca, district of Codo de Pozuso, "Cashiboca-Cataibo" Group as it sis known presumably descends from the "Carapachos"; they had a long record of violent events, culminated very recently with its population's considerable decrease. These communities located in the lower part of the Blue Mountain Chain (Cordillera Azul) range with an average of 7,000 mm/year of rain precipitations are devoted to the cultivation of the banana and their economy is eminently agricultural. In this territory is located the biggest concentration of the linguistic family "Arahuaca" (among the rivers Pachitea and Urubamba).

Altahar to Yemayá, zone of Trinidad, South center of the Island of Cuba.

.Pucallpa - Iquitos:

In the journey to Iquitos, crossing San Martin department, in the vicinity of the Huallaga river, province of Lama, in the district of Lamas, contact must be established with a group denominated "Quechua-Lamas". This group of the linguistic family Quechua -with an approximate population of 50,000 inhabitants, according to the census of 1990- descends of the Chancas that were subjugated by the Incas after they sieged the city of Cuzco in the year 1,438 of this era.

The Chancas of San Martin's region -as per narrations- arrived around year 1,470 when they accompanied the North Inca force and 40,000 men deserted headed by the general Ancoallo going into in the forest and arriving to settle down in the hills of Lamas. It would be of great interest to study the differences among the idiomatic evolution that has had the Quechua of this area an that of the established groups in the area of Cuzco, since the cultural tributaries among both areas vary so much as well as their own characteristics.

Once in the port of Yurimaguas over the Huallaga River, the trip can follow along the mentioned flow until arriving to the Maranion River and from there to the city of Iquitoslocated in the heart of the Amazons and surrounded by several small established groups; the group that arises more interest is the Yagua Group of the linguistic family Peba Yagua.

Altahar of ancestros, detail.

This communities -some 34 approximately- are located in the banks of the Amazona River and from their history we have been able to gather only discrepancies and confused data. The present project does not pretend to clarify neither to label opinions, just to gather more data the allow us to elaborate a comparative study based in the experience that emanates from the coexistence. Keeping in mind the wide arsenal of knowledge that the Yaguas preserve, let us remember that they have been one of the groups less whipped by the terrorism, the drug dealing and the indiscriminate petroleum exploitation. This investigative stage culminates with this group.

Along of the projected periplus, there are other established groups that I have been verifying to the date and that belong to that part of the work that have been already advanced.

Altahar to tutelary of the agrarian cults in the Zone of Kosñipata, Cuzco, Peru.

Nganga of the Wood ceremony Mount, angular stone of the palero cult.

In parallel with the trip, the artistic task won't be absent; one part in the specific places of investigation and another part in my workshop in Lima. The plastic as well as the video-documental result will be presented in three exhibitions (number that may change depending on the incorporation of new Galleries):

· Praxis Art International in Lima, Peru

· Gallery Art Co in Lima, Peru.

· Artesanos Art Gallery. Coral Gables, Miami F.L. USA.

· Fundación Félix Ferreras. Díaz Bravo, 8. 31500 Tudela. (Navarra) Spain.

. Center of Cuban Studies, New York

Out of the plastic work that will be carried out within the frame of the present investigation, 50% of the sales will be dedicated to acquire seeds or any other necessary element (as vaccines, small fishes, sires, etc.) in order to -in a symbolic way and in consonance with their values system- remunerate the disinterested cooperation and welcome of the communities involved in this project.

Kini-kini, of the Palo cult used Mount to repel damages

In the whole journey we will count with the collaboration the noted company PRM Admnistradora de Riesgos & Inversiones -a Peruvian risk management and investment company- to monitor the risk during the trip and to make viable the purchase of the suitable seeds for each floor, climate and place, because this company has achieved the "Agrarian Insurance" for Peru, having designed schemes to finance agricultural and forestry programs in the whole country.

In the course of the investigation here outlined, it is sought at the same time -if not solving- at least to attenuate one of the fundamental problems related with the health that affects those befome mentioned social groups: the serious mouth problems specifically in the arcade it would jag evident consequence of the acculturation and the limitless and unconscious penetration that arise with abrupt dietary alterations, particularly when we insert the consumption of some products like sugar and derivatives, completely absent of their daily diet based generally of fruits, meats, tubers and vegetables.

This is the reason why in the incursions that I have already carried out up to date, I use to travel -as I will do this time- accompanied by a doctor-dentist that besides offering tranquility before any unforeseen situation, will give gratuitous ambulatory attendance, factor that determines in great measure the confidence and the respect that we exchange with the communities.

By the way of general conclusions.

Although it would be objectively mistaken to hoist conclusions on the target of this paper, for the previous experience you can glimpse theta it will be of a lot of utility to verify the endogenous relationship of these human groups as model to scale of the ethnic-cultural processes at the level of the Culture in general.

Benefits for Sponsory.

Besides the institutional image, from the stand point of investment-benefit ratio, those who will support this initiative will gather commercial benefits due to the wide display this project will have at international level. For instants: the trademark of the 4 wheel drive vehicle and equipments that will be used, will be displayed daily in our the web-page reporting the journey binnacle and also in the Documental Video.

Detail of Altahar with ancestros.

Of the Curatorship.

The Curatorship will be carried out in consonance with the general objectives of the investigation, establishing comparative parameters between each one of the phases or stages of the project, because each exhibition of those up to now agreed -beginning with the first one already carried out in March 2002 in Praxis International Art of Lima Peru- will correspond to a different moment of the investigation.

Of the Documental-Video Result.

As a result -on the other hand- a short footage Documental-Video will be published in digital format with the name of the project, covering the investigation from the beginning to the final delivery of the mentioned seeds, vaccines, or what would be selected for such effects, keeping in mind that what would be given to the communities should not constitute an a-culturator additional element for their culture. This is the reason why this selection emanates of the own coexistence. The sponsors of the project will be specially mentioned in this video.

In company of the Andino Shamán "Quispe", during ceremony of payment to the ancestros.

The metaphoric reach of the project, the ambitious of the theoretical flight that proposes in moments in which the world is twisted by wars and conflicts, is constituted in a confrontation mechanism to the pessimism and the anxiety that emanate of the contemporary realities. The optimism and the confidence presented in "Of the Periplus on the way to the Sails" are readings of great value that could be taken by Bank Entities, Insurance Companies, Credit Cards, etc, to reafirm the idea that:

...the limits of the human activity are imposed by the human activity...

Investigative Group.

The investigative group is composed by:

1. - Fermín Fleites Morffi: Plastic artist, Author and director.

2. - Oleg Yurchenko: Doctor, Poet, Plastic Artísta and colaborador.

3. - Alejandro Calzada: Plastic artist and colaborador.

Per moments a translator-guide and a tecnico in computer science are united to the group.

Asista al lanzamiento de este novedoso portal de Arte Cubano Contemporáneo a cargo de Herr. Günter Tiervonbrüken. (Merchand, crítico y coleccionista de Artes)

Attend the throwing of this novel Site of Contemporary Cuban Art in charge of Herr . Günter Tiervonbrüken. (Merchand, critic and collector of Arts)

Click here.