Plans, and Guayasamin

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We´re all checked out of our hostal in Quito, waiting to go to the airport to fly to Peru.

This morning, we visited the "Capilla del hombre" (The chapel of man), a gallery and entire space deisgned by native Ecuadorian artist, Oswaldo Guayasamin (there is also an official website). The paintings were very blocky and obviously inspired by Picasso, and a couple of others. He´s quite the national figure and, although the gallery opened a few years after he died (2002), several important local and international figures were at the inauguration, including the president of UNESCO, Fidel Castro, and former French President François Mitterrand. Guayasamin designed the entire building, and the artwork, murals and sculptures inside. Very impressive! He also travelled the world during his life, and most of his art reflects the sufferring and oppression he witnessed in all five continents. One of the walls has a quote form him saying "I cried when I had no shoes, until I saw a boy with no feet".

There are 3 major periods of his art: (I can´t remember the name, but he painted faces from all over South America), Age of Rage (grey tones, depictions of suffering and oppression), and the Age of Tenderness (images of hope).

Super Chevre (That means "super cool"). We also booked our Galapagos Tour today! It was a bit more expensive than I had anticipated, but the comfort and services are well worth the first class cost. I figure I might not ever get a chance to do this again, so I might as well suck it up and get my money´s worth.

The dates for this month are now officially:

• 1-5 Peru (including flights)
  
• 5: fly to Lima
  
• 6 : check out some stuff in Lima and fly back to Quito
  
• 6-13 : Riobamba and environs
  
• 13: to Quito
  
• 14 - 21 : Galapagos!!! (via Quito)
  
• 22-24: Riobamba / Banos / ?
  
• 24-25: Quito
  
• 26: fly home.
  

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Photos

Inside of the Capilla del Hombre
a view from the bottom floor up through a circular hole in the top floor, and skylight with mural.

Skylight mural
Guayasamin never finished this mural of oppressed people reaching for the sun (skylight).

Condor & Bull, and light
The torch in the foreground (lit by Fidel) refers to one of Guayasamin´s quotes: "Keep a light lit for me, for I shall return". The mural depicts a Condor fighting a bull. A festival that still occurs in parts of Peru involves tying a starving Condor to the back of a Bull. The Condor represents South American people, and the BUll the oppressive Spanish. Whichever animal wins is supposed to be an omen (if the Condor wins, good for the natives, etc.)

Comments

[Mari-Carmen]

my great great grandpa
hello, i am Oswaldo's great great granddaughter. I have met him, and he loves me so dearly!! he even gave me a painting of a dog just for me, because of my love for dogs. It was such a tragedy when he died, i could help but cry and hold my painting. I did go to his funeral though, it was so depressing. I know live a few blocks away from the Chapel of Man where he used to live. Thanks, i neede to share that. please, contact me. Cheers, Mari-Carmen