Curatorial text by Raúl Arellano

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In the ancient Inca Empire, Andean quipus stood out as efficient memory tools, carefully created by scholars known as Khipukamayuq. These sophisticated mnemonic systems, made with cotton and wool ropes intertwined with strategic knots, transcended their function of recording administrative data, playing a crucial role in the transmission of rich ancestral heritage through solemn ceremonies, encompassing knowledge, historical memories, genealogies and poetry, all encompassed in a visual and holistic expression. Due to the adversities during the colonization of Peru, the authorities of the viceroyalty distrusted and promoted the oblivion and destruction of the quipus; However, his legacy endured as a valuable witness to the culture and identity of the ancient Andeans. Today, these enigmatic objects continue to captivate scholars and inspire those who appreciate ancient cultures, as they add a multisensory dimension that enriches the understanding of the wisdom of that time, transcending the merely visual. 

The Khipukamayuq exhibition is made up of three cores: in the first, in the basement of Vorfluter, a workshop for creating quipus with metal bars and folded papers is represented in a performance that incorporates sounds and drawings executed with the feet, using charcoal in powder and color earth pigments. In the second core, located on the main level, the quipu is presented installed on a wall in a diagonal arrangement that connects it with the wall and the floor and has impressions of a historical Khipukamayuq along with a video of the artist creating a quipu, and the third core, located in the basement, involves a performance in the Khipukamayuq workshop. Thus, the artist, through the quipus and the khipukamayup, creates a bridge with history, encouraging a deep connection with our roots, promoting harmony between the cultural expressions of Latin America and the West. These authentic treasures of the past reflect the intellectual and creative brilliance of humanity, and continue to be a living testimony of the wisdom and cultural wealth of our ancestors..