Hawapi: itinerant artist residency in Peru's mining region
Hawapi, an itinerant artist residency founded in 2012, brought a group of women artists to Cajamarca, a mining region in the northern Peruvian Andes. The residency focused on the struggle of Máxima Acuña, a farmer and weaver who opposes the Conga mining project by Yanacocha, the largest open-pit gold mine in South America. Artists including Sandra Nakamura, Jessica Segall, and Aileen Gavonel created works that engaged with local rituals, land defense, and the conflict between peasant rights and extractive industries. Some works remained on site, while others were exhibited at ICPNA's Juan Pardo Heeren space in Lima from January 9 to March 8, 2020, curated by Andrea Muñoz. The residency also produced a publication. Previous editions took place in Pondores, Colombia (FARC reintegration territory) and Pariacaca (a melting tropical glacier).
Key facts
- Hawapi is an itinerant artist residency founded in 2012.
- The 2019 residency took place in Cajamarca, a mining region in northern Peru.
- The residency focused on Máxima Acuña, a farmer resisting the Conga mining project by Yanacocha.
- Yanacocha is the largest open-pit gold mine in South America.
- Participants included 11 women artists: Pamela Arce, Maricé Castañeda, Katherinne Fiedler, Aileen Gavonel, Muriel Holguín, Mozhdeh Matin, Gilda Mantilla, Sandra Nakamura, Linda Pongutá, Jessica Segall, and Gianine Tabja.
- Sandra Nakamura created a kite based on a drawing by Alexander Graham Bell.
- Jessica Segall covered food with gold leaf and fed it to animals to 'return gold to the earth'.
- The exhibition 'Hawapi 2019, Máxima Acuña' was held at ICPNA's Juan Pardo Heeren space in Lima from January 9 to March 8, 2020.
- The exhibition was curated by Andrea Muñoz.
- Previous residencies were held in Pondores, Colombia (FARC reintegration) and Pariacaca (melting glacier).
Entities
Artists
- Sandra Nakamura
- Jessica Segall
- Aileen Gavonel
- Pamela Arce
- Maricé Castañeda
- Katherinne Fiedler
- Muriel Holguín
- Mozhdeh Matin
- Gilda Mantilla
- Linda Pongutá
- Gianine Tabja
- Maxim Holland
- Andrea Muñoz
- Máxima Acuña
- Alexander Graham Bell
- Francisco Pizarro
- Atahualpa
Institutions
- Hawapi
- Yanacocha
- ICPNA (Instituto Cultural Peruano Norteamericano)
- artpress
- FARC
Locations
- Cajamarca
- Peru
- Andes
- Pondores
- Colombia
- Pariacaca
- Lima
- Juan Pardo Heeren space
- Conga
Sources
- artpress —