ZURICH – Until July 21, 2024The Rietberg Museum in Zurich hosts the exhibition More than gold. Luster and worldview in indigenous Colombia. An exhibition that brings to light the incredible artistic and cultural richness of pre-Hispanic Colombia by offering a new and authentic perspective, thanks to the collaboration with the indigenous communities themselves.
Conceived and created by Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), from the Museo del Oro in Bogotá, from the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and by members of the indigenous community of Arhuaco in Colombia, the Zurich exhibition is theonly European stage and is characterized by exceptional artistic relevance.
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, donation of Alfred C. Glassell, Jr.
Over 400 works among gold artefacts, ceramics, stone sculptures and feather jewellery, coming from Colombian, North American, German and Swiss collections, they accompany visitors on a fascinating journey through the cosmology, nature and symbolic values of indigenous Colombian cultures.
Beyond Gold: A New Perspective on Pre-Hispanic Colombia
The exhibition stands out for its innovative approach which places the knowledge and traditions of indigenous populations at the centre. For the first time, the objects on display are not only admired as works of art, but interpreted and understood through the lens of Indigenous vision.
A fundamental role was played by the indigenous Arhuaco community, descendants of the Taironawho actively collaborated in the curation of the exhibition, providing valuable information and helping to convey their profound connection with the objects on display.
The exhibition experience is enriched with a rich program of collateral events, including theatrical performances, meditation sessions with the Arhuaco, concerts of pre-Hispanic music and workshops for families.
The Rietberg Museum
The Rietberg Museum, with its collection beyond 23,000 objects and 44,000 photographs, is one of the most important non-European art museums in the world. It is, in fact, dedicated to the art of traditional and contemporary cultures of Asia, Africa, America and Oceania.
The Museum is connected to a network of experts in various cultural sectors and to cultural institutions and collectors, both locally and internationally. In the dialogue with the countries of origin, it focuses on long-term collaborations, for example in Cameroon, Peru, India and Pakistan.
It organizes two or three large temporary exhibitions a year, complemented by three or four smaller exhibitions that draw on the museum’s collections. Temporary exhibitions are organized as internal productions or as international collaborations with museums and institutions in the countries of origin. They promote the reputation of non-European cultures and the idea of tolerance, thus setting an example of the cosmopolitanism of the city of Zurich.
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