Art has a long tradition in Peru. And as there were many political and cultural changes in the course of the existence of the cultures that live there, Peruvian art can boast many facets. The Art Museum of Lima (Mali for short) is located in the Palace of the Exhibition.
This palace was built in 1871 specifically for exhibitions. After a long time as a kind of fair building, the headquarters of the Fine Arts Society and even used as a barracks for Chilean troops in the years of the Pacific War, the first museum was inaugurated in 1959, which must be dedicated exclusively to artistic work: Mali.
Visitors to this museum can expect a complete view of Peruvian art through various eras, from pre-Columbian times to the present. It is the largest museum of its kind in Peru. The structure is made of pure steel and was one of the first buildings in Lima to use steel as a construction material in this way. Therefore, it is also for architecture lovers a building worth seeing, which should not be missing during a visit to Lima.
3000 years of Peruvian art
In several rooms, Mali presents exhibitions organized periodically. An important part of the exhibitions are the pre-Columbian pieces. This period of approximately 3000 years produced the cultures of the Incas, Chavín, Moche, Nazca and others.
Textiles, ceramics and goldsmith’s works will be exhibited. In fact, these objects have gained their status as art only in the last centuries. In the cultures that produced them, they were mainly basic products or served for religious purposes and as funerary goods.
Another important ingredient is the art of the colonial era. Because with European colonization came European influences to Peru for the first time and were reflected in the visual arts. In addition, painting became the instrument for the Christianization of the indigenous population of Peru.
The school of Cuzco, whose most famous artists were descendants of the indigenous population and enriched the European style with elements of their own culture, is especially famous for this period. There is also a space for republican art that was established and often influenced politically after the proclamation of Peru’s independence. The presentation will be completed with a room dedicated to 20th century art and a room where historical and modern photographs will be exhibited.
Museum of Art of Lima – MALI
Adresse:
Parque de la Exposición, Paseo Colon 125, Cercado de Lima
Opening Hour: Di. – Fr., So. 10:00 – 19:00, Sa. 10:00 – 17:00
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