Museo PACHA MILLI
PACHA MILLI is a shamanistic research centre near Pasto, Colombia. It was founded in 2013 and is based on a historical collection of pre-Columbian ceramics, a generous donation by the poet Clara Luz Zúñiga. Besides painted clay bowls and vessels, this collection contains numerous erotic and anthropomorphic artefacts and ceremonial tools.
These ceramics were created by ancient settlers of the Ipiales-Carchi plateau in the Southwest of Colombia and North of Ecuador. However, little is known about their original context, except that they were actively revered as sacred objects before the Spanish conquest. Despite this colonial influence, numerous lineages of shamans, both in and outside the region, could preserve detailed knowledge of the traditional use of such sacred objects.
PACHA MILLI’s mission is to engage in a dialogue with these owners of traditional knowledge and researchers to interpret and revitalize the institute’s heritage collection. PACHA MILLI is, therefore, not a mere museum. PACHA MILLI is a centre of the renaissance of pre-Columbian culture.
PACHA MILLI differs from conventional cultural history museums because it offers a unique framework to traditional owners of shamanic knowledge, thus making practical investigations of pre-Columbian artefacts possible. In the heart of lush gardens and adjoining wild nature with rainforests, gorges, and waterfalls, shamans can employ distinguished sacred architecture with the maloka „Nabi Nunhue,“ the house of the Jaguar, in its centre. The entire complex is modelled after typical open-air temples from the Inca era (see the Temple of Coricancha) and divided into three levels: “Hanan Pacha,” the upper world, “Kai Pacha,” the world here and now, and “Uku Pacha,” the underworld. This architecture purports curatorial patterns of organization and interpretation of the collection, such as birth, life, and death.
PACHA MILLI also provides a diverse infrastructure for academic and artistic research and the cultural reproduction of historical objects. Particularly for practical use (e.g., drinking out of ceremonial ceramics), originals are too fragile and must be safely kept in the centre’s show depot. If particular sensitive objects are requested for practical shamanistic research, a team of specialists in cooperation with the Fundación Alpayana (Colombia), SKOP (the Stichting Kleinshalige Ontwikkelingsprojekten, Netherlands), and Culture & Development (Germany) is ready to assist in their reproduction at the centre’s ceramics workshop. Since this requires time and contemplation, PACHA MILLI offers residencies lasting 2-6 weeks. (Residents are exclusively proposed and invited by the curatorial board of the research centre. Please refrain from initiative applications!).
The processes and products of the residents‘ work are, if possible, publicly presented and permanently installed at the centre or taken into collection. Furthermore, PACHA MILLI’s research is continuously documented and published at conferences, on the internet, and in magazines and publications, as well as being spread in the region.
Un diálogo entre el „Museo Pacha Milli“ y la „Universidad de Potsdam“
Mehr-Kanal-Videoinstallation zum Kooperationsprojekt zwischen dem »Museo Pacha Milli« (Pasto, Kolumbien) und dem Seminar »Sammeln, Ordnen, Zeigen als ästhetische Praxis« des Fachbereichs »Ästhetische Bildung/Kunst« der Universität Potsdam« während des COVID-19-bedingten digitalen Wintersemesters 2021/2022
In einem Video-Dialog mit dem Kunstvermittlungsteam des »Museo Pacha Milli« in Kolumbien setzten sich angehende Grundschullehrer:innen theoretisch und praktisch mit dessen musealer Sammlung auseinander. Im Mittelpunkt des Projekts stand der Schaffensprozess eines tönernen Gefäßes, das in seiner Form und Funktion einer vorgegebenen, präkolumbischen Keramik nachempfunden oder aber frei gestaltet werden konnte. Abschließend brachten die Studierenden ihre Gefäße ungebrannt an besondere Orte in der Natur, wo ihr schöpferischer Prozess endete und sich die Keramiken wieder auflösten.“ Christoph Balzar
Legende: [0] Rundgang durch das Schaudepot des Freiluftmuseums »Pacha Milli«, [1] Online-Vortrag zur Sammlung präkolumbischer Keramiken des Museums von Gastdozent Luis Eduardo González Martínez, M.A. (Direktor der »Fundación Allpayana« Pasto, Nariño/Colombia) live-Übersetzung espanol-deutsch: Marcela Toma; [2] Instruktionen zur keramischen Praxis und kulturellen (Re-)Produktion von Gastdozentin Alejandra Montaña Buenahora (artist in residence im »Museo Pacha Milli«); [3] künstlerisch-performative Handlungsanweisung von Natalia de los Rios (artist in residence im »Museo Pacha Milli«); die ersten, eingereichten Dokumentationen des künstlerischer Prozesse von [4] Sophie Danneberg, [5] Clara Dreher, [6] Tamina Treutler, [7] Vivien Berlet, [7] Johann Gollhardt, [8] Tabea Faber, [9] Anna Lena Rieprich, [10] Tabea Faber, [11] Alina Krüger, [12] Johann Gollhardt, [13] Vivien Richter, [14] Sarah Hoffmann.
Un diálogo entre el „Museo Pacha Milli“ y la „Universidad de Potsdam“
Instalación de vídeo multicanal sobre el proyecto de cooperación entre el „Museo Pacha Milli“ (Pasto, Colombia) y el seminario „Coleccionar, ordenar, mostrar como práctica estética“ del Departamento de „Educación Estética/Arte“ de la Universidad de Potsdam“ durante el semestre digital de invierno 2021/2022 condicionado por COVID-19.
„En un video diálogo con el equipo de educación artística del „Museo Pacha Milli“ de Colombia, los futuros profesores de primaria trataron de forma teórica y práctica su colección museística. El proyecto se centró en el proceso de creación de una vasija de barro, cuya forma y función podían modelarse a partir de una determinada cerámica precolombina o diseñarse libremente. Por último, los alumnos llevaron sus vasijas sin cocer a lugares especiales de la naturaleza, donde su proceso creativo terminó y la cerámica se disolvió de nuevo.“ Christoph Balzar
La leyenda: [0] Recorrido por el depósito de exposiciones del museo al aire libre „Pacha Milli“, [1] Conferencia en línea sobre la colección de cerámica precolombina del museo a cargo del profesor invitado Luis Eduardo González Martínez, M.A. (Director de la „Fundación Allpayana“ Pasto, Nariño/Colombia) traducción en directo español-alemán: Marcela Toma; [2] instrucciones sobre la práctica cerámica y la (re)producción cultural a cargo de la profesora invitada Alejandra Montaña Buenahora (artista residente en el „Museo Pacha Milli“); [3] instrucciones de acción artístico-performativa a cargo de Natalia de los Ríos (artista residente en el „Museo Pacha Milli“); las primeras documentaciones del proceso artístico presentadas por [4] Sophie Danneberg, [5] Clara Dreher, [6] Tamina Treutler, [7] Vivien Berlet, [7] Johann Gollhardt, [8] Tabea Faber, [9] Anna Lena Rieprich, [10] Tabea Faber, [11] Alina Krüger, [12] Johann Gollhardt, [13] Vivien Richter, [14] Sarah Hoffmann.