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Art/Culture/History | 26 October, 2009 [ 18:01 ]

Fossilized Saber tooth tiger found in Peru


LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

After nearly a year of intense search, the fossilized skull of a Smilodon, known as "saber tooth tiger" was found during an expedition through the area known as "Pampa de los Fósiles" (Fossils Ground) in the province of Pacasmayo, La Libertad region.

Klaus Hönningen Mitrani, a paleontologist, said that the discovery took place eleven days after he received several indications that the remains of the predator were found in that area, in the entry road to the resort Poémape in the district of San Pedro de Lloc.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the Smilodon would belong to the geological period known as the Pleistocene, which began 2.59 million last few years to about 12,000 years BCE.

The skull belonged to an adult Smilodon, measures 35cm, and its characteristic fangs are 18cm long, which allowed him to hunt.

Hönninghen recalled that scientists have determined that this species was contemporary with the man of Paijan, considered as the first humans who inhabited Peru.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

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Art/Culture/History | 23 October, 2009 [ 16:31 ]

Noche de Arte – 40th Anniversary


By
Amber Eve Anderson


Expectations are high for the 40th anniversary of any event, but they are especially high for an event like Noche de Arte which has consistently wowed audiences in the past.  Viewers might be a bit skeptical at the new location, Banco Continental, after last year’s event at the enchanting Puericultorio Perez Araníbar, but noticeable improvements and high quality artwork don’t disappoint.

Entering Noche de Arte the viewer passes in between two large cylindrical constructions displaying this year’s sponsors and highlighting sculptures already present at Banco Continental’s location. 

Invited guests were greeted by the United States Ambassador Michael McKinley, his wife and United States Embassy Association (USEA) Honorary President Fatima McKinley, USEA President Charles Roe, and Noche de Arte Director Natalia Lozada de Farías, all of whom serve to show the great collaboration that takes place to put on this event every year.

The first and second floors have been used to display most of the artwork – there are 800 works in total coming from 400 artists – with an additional tent constructed outside along with one wall displaying photographs.  The two areas are linked by a passageway, by which one must exit the first building to re-enter the second, passing live sculptures – some of whom are encouraging visitors to recycle – and performers ranging from cajón players to flamenco dancers. 

Although the general flow of the event (getting from Point A to Point B) is its greatest weakness, the set-up also has its advantages. Immediately upon entering the exhibit viewers encounter some of the best pieces of the show, giving the impression that the quality of this year’s artwork is much higher than the last.  The work throughout the exhibit is loosely grouped, showing figurative, still-life, and abstract works together.

Another advantage to this set-up is that it encourages a second, third, and even fourth walk through the exhibit, each round showing more and more little red squares indicating that pieces have sold. 

Given that the event is not only about promoting art but also about supporting Peruvian non-profit organizations, this is good news all around.  Forty percent of all proceeds are donated and USEA, who hosts Noche de Arte, is in charge of distributing these funds. 

Among projects too numerous to name, past donations have helped fund the construction of medical centers, distributed medicine to areas affected by floods and earthquakes, donated sewing machines to community centers, and given materials to schools for the deaf and the blind.  Noche de Arte not only supports artists, it helps those who need it most.

Noche de Arte is on display at Banco Continental October 23-25, 2009.

Tickets are available at Teleticket.

Seat of Banco Continental
Av. Republica de Panamá 3055
San Isidro, Lima, Peru

414-3043/414-3042/414-2652

www.nochedearte.org
 
Amber Eve Anderson is a Public Relations Chair on USEA as well as a writer for Living in Peru.

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Art/Culture/History | 20 October, 2009 [ 18:24 ]

Peru: 12 wooden statues found in Chan Chan citadel


LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

A team of Peruvian archaeologists found 12 wooden anthropomorphic statues, more than 500 years old, in the archaeological complex of Chan Chan, the largest mud city in America, located some 570 kilometers north of Lima.

According to Cristóbal Campana, Director of the Executive Unit 110, the statues were found in the palace entrance Ñan An, the youngest building of Chan Chan.

Campana estimates that the statues, which are in good condition, would belong to the penultimate stage of the Chimu culture, which was defeated and conquered by the Incas.

Chan Chan was declared as World Heritage by UNESCO in 1986, and also is in the list of endangered heritage sites, due to the fragility of its adobe structures, the effects of the heavy rains and the high temperatures in the area.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

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Art/Culture/History | 9 October, 2009 [ 12:55 ]

Peru declares more than 40 monuments and sites as "cultural heritage"


LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peru's National Institute of Culture (INC) declared officially as “cultural heritage” more than 40 monuments and prehispanic sites in the regions of Piura, Lima, Cusco, Huancavelica, Apurímac, Moquegua, Áncash, Junín, Pasco, Puno, Amazonas, Ayacucho and Huánuco.

The list includes the following archaeological sites: Castilla-El Indio 01, Castilla-El Indio 02, Castilla-El Indio 03 (Piura); Conchal Playa Grande (Lima); Ak´awillay (Cusco); Cuchimachay, Ranrapata (Huancavelica); Tocone hill and Minaspunta hill (Apurímac).

Other places included in the list are Huayco hill (Moquegua); Pampa Blanca, Tambo Real cemeteries (South and North, in Ancash); Qollmay (Cusco); pre inca roads Carhuamayo-Ninacaca and Uco-Quebrada Shogue (Junín and Pasco); Tumuyo, Yanaqaqa Bajo, Pasincha Pata, Panti Pantini, Alto Jilahuata and Buena Vista (Puno), among others in Amazonas, Ayacucho, Cusco and Huánuco.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

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Art/Culture/History | 8 October, 2009 [ 12:42 ]

Frieze dated from 5,000 years ago found in Peru


LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

A frieze that would have been sculpted 5,000 years ago, was found at Vichama archaeological complex, some 120km to the north of Lima, according to archaeologists of the Caral-Supe project.

According to a press release, the most notable part of the frieze is one that represents a human hand holding an object like a knife or a spindle.

The exposed part of the hand measures 23 x 20 inches, and the instrument is 35 cm long by 20 centimeters wide.

The archaeologists think that the frieze might be associated with ceremonial activities, and could probably represent a particular scene or ritual slaughter.

Dated from 5,000 years ago, this would be one of the oldest friezes in the region.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

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Art/Culture/History | 8 October, 2009 [ 11:16 ]

Peruvian artist Fernando Bryce shorlisted for "Artes Mundi 4" prize


LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Peruvian artist Fernando Bryce has been included in the shortlist for the £40,000 prize of the 2009 “Artes Mundi” competition, the UK's biggest visual arts prize, which has attracted more than 480 nominations from more than 80 countries.

This shortlist was chosen by two appointed selectors, art critic Viktor Misiano, formerly curator at The Pushkin State Museum and director of the Contemporary Art Center (CAC) in Moscow, and Levent Çalikoglu, chief curator at Istanbul Museum of Modern Art.

Along with Bryce, artists from Albania, Bulgaria, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Taiwan have been shortlisted, and they will exhibit their works at National Museum Cardiff from 11 March - 6 June 2010, with the award given in May.

This award is presented in Cardiff every two years, and previous winners have included Xu Bing, a Chinese artist whose work was made from dust collected on New York's streets after 9/11.

The competition, established in 2003, aims to seek "outstanding artists from around the world who stimulate our thinking on the human condition and humanity.”

(Condensed from BBC)

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

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Art/Culture/History | 7 October, 2009 [ 10:38 ]

Peru's Machu Picchu ruins included in WMF list of endangered monuments


LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The World Monuments Fund ( WMF), announced the 2010 World Monuments Watch list, and the famous Peruvian Machu Picchu ruins are included in it.

According to the WMF report, the stone structures and platforms, which have withstood the ravages of time, wars and earthquakes, are now vulnerable because of the constant and significant increase in visits and the urbanization of surrounding areas.

The head of the National Institute of Culture (INC) in Cusco, Jorge Zegarra, said that the only agency authorized to declare any cultural heritage of humanity at risk is UNESCO.

He added that for that organization, Machu Picchu is not and never has been on the list of endangered places, and that the daily number of visitors (2,500) does not  pose a threat for conservation.

The 2010 Watch includes 93 sites now at risk, representing 47 countries.

The Watch is WMF’s flagship advocacy program, and it calls international attention to threatened cultural heritage.

For more than 40 years, WMF, a nonprofit organization, has worked to preserve cultural heritage across the globe.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

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Art/Culture/History | 6 October, 2009 [ 09:28 ]

Peru: Book Fair in Arequipa generated US $167,000 in sales


LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The Arequipa Book Fair 2009 (FIL 2009) closed doors yesterday, surpassing by far the organizers' expectations, who issued a press release informing about the official figures on sales and attendance during the 12 days that this fair lasted.

The Fair, that was held at the Libertad de Expresión (Freedom of Express) Park (in Umacollo), welcomed 85,000 visitors, and generated S/. 500,000 soles (almost US $167,000) in global sales.

A grand total of 24,000 books were sold, and the best seller was TV host Jaime Bayly's “El cojo y el loco” (The lame and the insane) which sold 940 books.

It was followed by journalist César Hildebrandt's “Tierra Nueva” (New Land), that sold 760 books, and the third best-selling book was Aldo Miyashiro's “Un misterio, una pasión” ("A mystery, a passion") which sold about 350 books.

The organization president, Martha Valencia Retamozo said the main aim now is to institutionalize the Fair and make it a permanent activity.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

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Art/Culture/History | 30 September, 2009 [ 08:28 ]

Peru's writer Daniel Alarcón won international literary award


LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

The Peruvian writer Daniel Alarcón won the new International Prize for Literature, award, created by the House of World Cultures in Berlin (HKW), for his novel “Radio Ciudad Perdida” (Lost City Radio), which was translated into German.

"We chose a book that was an urgent reading, something not exactly integrated with the tradition of European welfare, but with the current world conditions; and moreover, we wanted to see an exceptional linguistic work,” said Katharina Narbutovic, one of the members of the German jury,

"I'm happy, proud and thankful," said the young Peruvian writer, who received 25,000 euros (US $36,000) as part of the prize.

“Radio Ciudad Perdida” (2007) was chosen as the winner among 140 works translated into German, according to Peru21.com, and reportedly it explores the social, human and emotional impacts of war.

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

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Art/Culture/History | 29 September, 2009 [ 20:48 ]

Argentinian magazine illustrates Peru's César Vallejo poem.


LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

In the last number of the Argentinian magazine “Fierro”, the editors have included an illustrated adaptation of “París, October 1936", from the  famous Peruvian poet César Vallejo.

The illustration was made by Max Aguirre, who says he admires and likes Vallejo's poetry.

Why did he choose this poem in particular? "Beacuse I love it, I like other poems, but this ode to the lightness, such a clarity to deal with human existence was the one to work with".

Aguirre, who worked along other six Latin American illlustrators, added that "It is a great joy to pay homage to one of the best poets of the Spanish language".

A complete interview to Max Aguirre and the complete graphic adaptation can also be found in the Peruvian blog “La Nuez.”

Have other topics you'd like to see in our news section? If you or someone you know would like to contribute a news article to Living in Peru, whether it's translated or based on a personal investigation, send it to editor@livinginperu.com.

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