Installations
From the 8th of September to the 24th of November, Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana presented a comprehensive programme featuring installations, archives and performances by the participants of the edition.
No results
What's on
ru k’uux kaaj / corazón del cosmo
- TypeInstallation
- ParticipantManuel Chavajay
- VenueCasa Gomis
![ru k’uux kaaj _ corazón del cosmo [heart of the cosmo], 2023 © Manuel Chavajay. Photo © Manifesta 15 Barcelona Metropolitana _ Ivan Erofeev.jpg](/media/m15-bucket.ams3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/large_ru_k_uux_kaaj_corazon_del_cosmo_heart_of_the_cosmo_2023_Manuel_Chavajay_Photo_Manifesta_15_Barcelona_Metropolitana_Ivan_Erofeev_7d2a965785.jpg)
The Guatemalan artist Manuel Chavajay makes work about his Maya-Tz’utujil culture and heritage as well as the struggles that his community faces. As someone who has experienced discrimination and oppression, Chavajay believes that artmaking not only offers an opportunity for healing, but also an effective means for exposing and denunciating violence, reclaiming history and asserting his Indigenous identity, advocating for basic human rights and demonstrating resilience. Deeply connected with nature, his body of work is inspired by Mayan spirituality, especially its cosmovision – a way of understanding life according to the nature-human-universe relationship. The artist’s hometown, San Pedro La Laguna, is located on the shores of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala, which has become a popular tourist attraction. Chavajay’s work reflects on how to reconcile the exponential tourism growth with the upholding of his traditional cultural practices. In ru k’uux kaaj, Chavajay takes a kuku – a clay jar traditionally used in healing and burial rituals and paints its interior with a cosmos vision. The artist compares the vase to mother nature’s body, specifically her bowel, which humankind has ruptured. The work performs a metaphorical exorcism, invoking the safeguarding of the lake’s vital energy.
2023
Ceramic, acrylic, spray
40 × 40 × 40 cm
Courtesy of the artist and Galeria Pedro Cera, Lisbon/Madrid
Cookie consent
Our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our site. This helps us to provide you with a good experience and, with your consent, helps us improve our website. For more details, see our cookies policy.