Back in 2013 we published an article on an exhibition of works by Lima sculptor Patricia Olguín at La Galeria in Barranco after Lauren, who previously worked with Aracari, interviewed the artist. Now Patricia is has works featured at the Agora Gallery in New York City, and Lauren accompanied by James (who also worked with us in Lima) attended the inauguration on behalf of Aracari. Lima Sculptor Patricia Olguín The exhibition, called “Realms of Figuration”, showcases pieces by Patricia, who was born in New York but has been living in Lima and has exhibited works in both cities. The exhibition, which explores “real and imagined worlds” through paint, sculpture and mixed media, opened on September 16 and will be on display through October 7, 2014. You can check out Patricia’s pieces on the gallery site. Lauren and James talked with Patricia the night of the inauguration to learn a bit more about her sculptures in the current exhibit and her plans for the future. Patricia explained that these pieces are on a smaller scale because she had a limited amount of time to complete the works after being commissioned compared to the last exhibit for which she had five years to complete the sculptures. There are several pieces, like Hands Park (featured) and Sculpture, that she would like to create on a much larger scale: the size of a building if possible. Recently Patricia has been using different techniques like juxtaposing wood with resin, plating pieces in chrome and using bright pink paint. Additionally, these objects had more resemblance to human facial forms, quite distinct from her last exhibition that incorporated pieced-together shards. One of the aforementioned pieces, Hands Park, exemplifies these new techniques: bronzed female hands mounted on a set of lips hold up tree wings from which swing female
Back in 2013 we published an article on an exhibition of works by Lima sculptor Patricia Olguín at La Galeria in Barranco after Lauren, who previously worked with Aracari, interviewed the artist. Now Patricia is has works featured at the Agora Gallery in New York City, and Lauren accompanied by…
Few cities elicit in me and others a love-hate relationship as Beijing does. One thing I love about Beijing is the contrast between the old traditional Chinese and the ultra-modern: both coexist side by side. It is undoubtedly a very interesting city, but equally tough both to navigate and feel comfortable in. Most people I know don’t like it. The weather is extreme, and while I was there in the peak of summer, temperatures can go up as high as 40°C (104°F). If not as hot as that, then it is horribly polluted. So it’s no picnic. Travel in Beijing and Yunnan Because I have been to Beijing several times, and done all the usual sights (The Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven), and I have been fortunate enough to stay at an actual Hutong home at my friend´s house. This year, during my two weeks there, I decided to immerse myself in experiences that focus on aspects of Chinese culture and lifestyle. I love to eat Chinese food but don’t know how to cook it. I think it is a great idea to learn about a culture through its food, and I try to take cooking classes wherever I go (within reason). Learning to make dumplings sounded like a great opportunity, and I therefore enrolled in a day cooking class at Hutong Cuisine, where together with 10 other amateur cooks, we were taught the secrets of making boiled, steamed and pan fried dumplings. During 4 hard working hours, we learned to make the dough, chop the ingredients properly, dress them and then create the beautifully crafted dumplings. The whole process looks easy but it is a true challenge, at least for me. I haven’t yet tested the recipe but will do so soon! Daunting
Few cities elicit in me and others a love-hate relationship as Beijing does. One thing I love about Beijing is the contrast between the old traditional Chinese and the ultra-modern: both coexist side by side. It is undoubtedly a very interesting city, but equally tough both to navigate and feel…
On August 15th Aracari was invited to attend the inauguration of an exhibition of popular art at the Peruvian-North American Cultural Institute (ICPNA) curated by Aracari’s history and art specialist in Lima, John Alfredo Davis Benavides. The exhibit is free to the public and will be on display from now until the 28th of September. Peruvian Popular Art Exhibition in Lima John Alfredo, along with two other curators, artist Jaime Liébana and owner of Las Pallas arts and handicrafts shop, Mari Solari, collaborated to assemble this exhibit with over 300 pieces on display. It is the final exhibit in a series on popular art that began over a decade ago at the ICPNA, which was co-sponsored by the University of Ricardo Palma in Lima. The exhibits have been organized by region, theme, subject and medium, but this last one was the most ambitious, aiming to take on the concept of popular art as a whole. On a Friday evening, people crowded into the Germán Krüger Espantoso Gallery at the ICPNA in Miraflores for the opening of the exhibition titled, “Arte Popular? Tradiciones Sin Tiempo”, which translates as, “Popular Art? Timeless Traditions”. After a warm introduction from the director at the ICPNA, John Alfredo spoke to the audience about the exhibition and the general question it provokes, which is, about popular art being treated as real art rather than cultural artifacts or crafts. He continued to explain briefly the organization of the exhibit, which was ultimately arranged into three categories: ethnic art, rural art and urban art. After his words, the crowd broke up and perused the gallery, munching on hors d’ouerves and sipping wine that was provided at the event. A few days after the inauguration, we sat down over a coffee with John Alfredo in his workshop to talk
On August 15th Aracari was invited to attend the inauguration of an exhibition of popular art at the Peruvian-North American Cultural Institute (ICPNA) curated by Aracari’s history and art specialist in Lima, John Alfredo Davis Benavides. The exhibit is free to the public and will be on display from now…
Aracari Travel. Discovering Bolivia At Aracari, we are not just known for our expertise on travel in Peru; we have been arranging luxury trips to Bolivia for years now, and it is a destination that we highly recommend to those with a sense of adventure and a love of nature and culture. With increasing interest in travel to Bolivia, we have recently begun collaborating with an expert there, our insider in La Paz who coordinates travel services and ensures that Aracari guests are taken care of during their journeys. Our man in La Paz is James Brunker, born in England (Kent to be exact), who has lived in the administrative capital since 2004 and is our source of knowledge on all things Bolivia. James greets our clients who travel to Bolivia with a phone call upon arrival and is in touch with them throughout their travels to check on them, explain the itinerary, give information about destinations and answer any questions that may arise. We spoke with James to learn a bit more about him and his insider tips on travel in his adopted home. About James Brunker James arrived in Bolivia as a tour guide, splitting his time between Bolivia and Peru with tour groups, until his interest in the city of La Paz drew him to try living there (a decision which he also credits to his wife who lives there). James began working in tourism right out of college as a raft and kayaking guide in the Austrian Alps before moving on to trekking and more general tourism activities, traveling for tours in Spain, China, Nepal, Costa Rica, Cuba, Panamá, Ecuador, Patagonia (Argentina / Chile), and of course, Peru and Bolivia. Now James spends most of his time in Bolivia working as a freelance photographer, which began as a
Aracari Travel. Discovering Bolivia At Aracari, we are not just known for our expertise on travel in Peru; we have been arranging luxury trips to Bolivia for years now, and it is a destination that we highly recommend to those with a sense of adventure and a love of nature and culture….
Featured Photo: The Ausangate lodge to lodge trek by Andean Lodges. As well as keeping our eye on state of the art developments in luxury Peru hotels, at Aracari we also adore small scale properties that reflect their environment, incorporate local culture and that minimise their impact on their natural surroundings. Earlier this year, we met with Maria Eugenia de Aliaga of KM Cero to talk about a new initiative that she co-founded and that adheres to these very qualities. Established in 2013 to support the development of sustainable tourism in Peru, Albergues Peruanos is a non-profit organisation that promotes the travel industry in rural areas of Peru by fostering a network of unique and charming lodges (albergues). The network of lodges offer individuals access to destinations that are rarely visited by travellers from overseas, but that are nonetheless beautiful and offer unique opportunities for travelling off-the-beaten-path. All of the lodges that are featured on Albergues Peruanos have been chosen for their location, their standards of hospitality and their connection to the natural environment. The organisation is dedicated to promoting lodges that demonstrate an active role in protecting the environment and supporting the local communities near which they are located. To illustrate their high standards, some of the requirements for the participating lodges include the following: Lodges must have programs in place to reduce energy costs, waste produced and water consumed. Lodge operations must not adversely affect the local community and actively support the local economy where possible. Lodges and affiliated tours must not harm or disrupt the local flora and fauna of the region Lodges must communicate their standards of environmental protection to guests. These examples are but a few of the prerequisites for a lodge joining the Albergues Peruanos network. They have developed a detailed “Sustainability Guide &
Featured Photo: The Ausangate lodge to lodge trek by Andean Lodges. As well as keeping our eye on state of the art developments in luxury Peru hotels, at Aracari we also adore small scale properties that reflect their environment, incorporate local culture and that minimise their impact on their natural…
