  Hunters of the E'ñepa. Photo: Marie-Claude Mattéi- Müller  Sacred bat. Photo: Peter Oszvald  Tufts of feathers to stick into the upper arm bands. Photo: Peter Oszvald  A communal hut of the Indian society E'ñepa. Photo: Marie-Claude Mattéi- Müller |
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 Indian Societies in Venezuela The Cisneros Collection 6 August 1999 to 19 March 2000     
     The "Orinoco – Parima" exhibition presents the Gustavo and Patricia Cisneros Collection for the first time to the European public. The collection displays a rich assortment of Amazonian ethnographic objects from twelve southern Venezuela indigenous societies: De’áruwa, Ye’kuana, Yanomami, Híwi, E’ñepa, Wakuénai, Baniwa, Baré, Puinave, Warekena, Piapoco, and Hodï. For almost five centuries, the Amazon and its immense web of rivers and jungle was thought by our civilization as a hostile and secluded virginal otherness, an enormous Medusa fascinating conquerors of any kind to search the heart of darkness for its hidden riches. It is now known to be for the most part a cultural landscape, a garden, shaped during millenniums for mankind by Amazonian societies as those still living between the Orinoco River and the Parima mountain range – the region of the legendary Lake Parima where El Dorado, the gold man, lived. Very few cultures in history have – despite of colonial exploitation – succeeded as these societies in preserving their identities and traditions, their an our environment. The source of the Orinoco River, whose waters had been seen by Columbus, was at last discovered by our civilization some five centuries after, in 1951. At this same time, Edgardo González Niño was exiled to the Amazonian territories of Venezuela. He lived for years with the Orinoco Indians, and began collecting documentation on these cultures. He gathered well over one thousand objects, which comprise almost the entire repertoire of material culture from 12 Venezuelan ethnic groups. He was highly trusted by the Indians who produced objects especially for him, so that several artfully woven articles can be viewed in their gradual process of development. In 1988, Mr. González Niño trusted the collection to the Cisneros family, heading a foundation dedicated to Latin-American culture. While at the same time preserving the collection, the Fundación Cisneros is actively engaged in enlarging it through new acquisitions, exhibiting it before the public, and promoting the study of these indigenous societies. The exhibition shows masks, cult objects, how the shamans used them, jewelry, cooking equipment, and weapons. The originality of the objects is due in part to their ideal functionality, but also to their specially crafted artistry and expressive imagery. Special attention should be given to the rich basketry and the colorful feathered crafts. Models on a 1/100 scale show dwellings of these societies. The exhibition also contains numerous photographs, which illustrate the use of these objects in daily life at the original sites. The exhibition is organized according to central themes which characterize the lives of the societies of the Upper Orinoco: existence, development, nurturing, organization, celebration, healing, and transition represent concepts which can be connected to experiences such as the family, celebration, economy, shamanism, etc. The structure of the exhibition allows a path of life to emerge. In the process, visitors encounter equally remarkable objects with various meanings and functions. besides their practical application, several of these Indian objects represent social, magical, and cosmic principles.   The Cisneros Collection Website Exhibition Curators Stephan Andreae Lelia Delgado Gabriele Herzog-Schröder email: Stephan Andreae, Curator |
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