An ethnographic art exhibition: ceremonial objects, sacred idols and rare tokens pertaining to the spiritual culture of the last native inhabitants of the planet’s rain forests, islands and mountains. Organized by SangreDeAmerica.Org, the exhibition retraces animistic beliefs and Shamanism through the universal language of art. The project supports the self-determination of indigenous peoples at risk of extinction.
ANCESTRAL presents a broad perspective of ethnic plurality and evokes transcendental ideas through the universal language of art, sounds and the Shamanist cult, extending beyond the Eurocentrist vision or a purely aesthetic conception of the works. Over 100 objects are on display from the five continents and spanning 500 years of history: from the Andean and Amazonian communities of South America to the tribes of the African savannah and the Sulawesi jungle, from the mountainous regions of Papua New Guinea, the forests of Borneo and the islands of the South Pacific to the dwellings of the Maya and the Taino peoples who met Columbus. Original worldview, power totems, protective amulets: myth, legend or superstition? Ancestor worship and ancient animistic beliefs have always accompanied mankind. The primeval gods of the tribal pantheon are still respected and invoked by millions of people with ancestral rites and ceremonies. With cultural sensitivity, ANCESTRAL embraces the most remote indigenous traditions, transforming cultural syncretism into a unifying element. It is a journey to the most remote areas of the planet in search of primeval art, the mystic enigma that inspired the cultured philosophies of the past.
The exhibition celebrates 20 years of commitment on the part of Sangredeamerica.org,a not-for-profit organization set up by a group of people including writers, anthropologists, musicians, campesinos, intellectuals and ordinary individuals, motivated by the urge to promote awareness at the international level of the real risk of extinction faced by the last guardians of nature: the indigenous peoples. Venezuelan musician and documentarian H. Antoni Carvajal explains that the initiative disseminates the value of rural traditions, which continue to be destroyed by modern-day progress, exalts native culture, the importance of traditional lifestyles and the spiritual vision of indigenous populations for the protection of the Earth. ANCESTRAL can count on the collaboration of Dr. Peter Matthaes, Director of the Museo d’Arte e Scienza of Milano, the first museum in the world to develop a scientific method for dating and identifying the wood type of art objects and antiques. Partaking in the project are: scholars of indigenous philosophy, traditional musicians, peace promoters and organizations which, like Sangredeamerica.org, encourage the self-determination of endangered native populations.