Harry Chávez Wins Premio Luces 2026 for 'Donde muerde el mito'
Peruvian artist Harry Chávez received the Premio Luces 2026, awarded by public vote, for his project 'Donde muerde el mito' (Where the Myth Bites). The work, developed in dialogue with the MALI museum collection and curated by Sairah Espinoza Toledo, explores the symbolic confrontation between feline and serpent figures. Chávez discovered a colonial mural in the Church of the Nativity in Chincheros, Cusco, depicting a puma fighting an amaru, commissioned in the late 18th century by cacique Mateo Pumacahua after his participation in the capture of Túpac Amaru. This fortuitous find confirmed a symbolic persistence across centuries. The exhibition at MALI was designed to activate a contemporary reading of heritage, with installation playing a key role in the viewer's experience. Chávez expressed gratitude for the recognition, noting that it validates a sustained plastic and symbolic investigation.
Key facts
- Harry Chávez won the Premio Luces 2026 for 'Donde muerde el mito'.
- The award is decided by public vote.
- The project was developed in collaboration with curator Sairah Espinoza Toledo.
- The work dialogues with the collection of the MALI museum.
- Chávez found a colonial mural in the Church of the Nativity in Chincheros, Cusco.
- The mural depicts a puma fighting an amaru, commissioned by Mateo Pumacahua in the late 18th century.
- The mural was created after Pumacahua's capture of Túpac Amaru.
- The exhibition installation was executed by the MALI team.
Entities
Artists
- Harry Chávez
Institutions
- MALI
- Arte al límite
Locations
- Chincheros
- Cusco
- Peru