Piezas Mayas de Guatemala se Exhiben en el
Museé du quai Branly en Francia

Junio, 2011

Piezas de las colecciones de la Fundación La Ruta Maya y del Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología de Guatemala, se exhiben en la exposición “Mayas, del Amanecer al Ocaso”, la cual fue inaugurada en el Musée du quai Branly en Paris, Francia, el 21 de junio de 2011.

La muestra estará abierta al público hasta el 2 de octubre del presente año, siendo la primera vez que una muestra de arte prehispánico guatemalteco es presentada en Francia y Europa, aprovechando la presencia de piezas excavadas en descubrimientos arqueológicos recientes.

En ella se exhiben más de 150 magníficas obras de arte que presentan al público el desarrollo de la civilización maya, su apogeo y ocaso hasta después de la llegada de los conquistadores españoles en 1524 d.C. En la muestra destacan piezas de cerámica, elementos funerarios, restos arquitectónicos, joyería, monumentos, etc.

A la inauguración se dieron cita destacados académicos, funcionarios de los gobiernos de Francia y Guatemala y otras personalidades invitadas. Destacó la participación de la Sra. Irina Bokova, directora de UNESCO, y la de Su Alteza Serenísima el Príncipe Alberto II de Mónaco. El evento inaugural contó con el patrocinio de la Fundación PACUNAM, la Fundación Príncipe Alberto II y Global Heritage Fund.

La exposición forma parte de un compromiso con la preservación del patrimonio nacional de Guatemala y tiene como objetivo sensibilizar a la población sobre la importancia de los principales sitios arqueológicos de Guatemala, entre los que se incluye El Mirador. Este sitio es uno de los candidatos, junto con otros cinco seleccionados por el gobierno de Guatemala, para ingresar a la lista de Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO.

El diseño de la exposición fue dirigido por Jean-Paul Boulanger, de la Agencia Pylone. Su diseño destaca la arquitectura del sitio arqueológico El Mirador a partir de reconstrucciones de bajorrelieves a escala, así como de un audiovisual que ayuda a  percibir el sitio, su tamaño, características y misterio. La exposición fue ilustrada con las fotografías de Ricky López Bruni con imágenes sobre el arte, la cultura y el folklore guatemalteco. El Comisario General de la Exposición es el Lic. Juan Carlos Meléndez, Director del Museo Nacional de Arqueología y Etnología de Guatemala. El Asesor Científico de la Exposición es el Dr. Richard Hansen, Director del Proyecto Arqueológico El Mirador.

LA RUTA MAYA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
GIVES ARCHAEOLOGICAL OBJECTS ON LOAN TO
MIRAFLORES MUSEUM AND IS ONE OF THE SPONSORS
OF ITS NEW CATALOGUE "MAYA OF KAMINALJUYÚ"

Last October 2010 was a special occasion. Miraflores Museum -with La Ruta Maya and other sponsors, presented the Catalogue "Maya of Kaminaljuyú."

During the ceremony, Dr. Juan Antonio Valdés, curator of the museum, and Architect Federico Fahsen, famous Guatemalan epigrapher, were honored for their merits in Mayan archaeology and received a copy of the catalogue as part of their public recognition. Dr. Barbara Arroyo presented the importance of the site of Kaminaljuyú in the history of Mayan and Mesoamerican culture .

For both Museo Miraflores and La Ruta Maya, the publication of the catalogue is a another step forward for two entities that work on the dissemination, protection and display of our heritage. Part of the Pre-Columbian objects displayed in its full-color pages belong to the collection that La Ruta Maya has loaned to the museum.

La Ruta Maya was founded in 1990 in the United States by Wilbur Garrett, former editor of National Geographic Magazine. Since 2004 is chaired by Mr. Fernando Paiz, Guatemalan businessman known for his support to the arts and the environment. In Guatemala, La Ruta Maya is registered as a nonprofit organization and is the only private organization -perhaps in all of Central America- that seeks out and promotes the return of antiquities. After returning to the country, the objects are registered as national cultural heritage with the Registro de Bienes Culturales and exhibited in accredited museums and other entities with cultural projection.

The first museum to open its doors to La Ruta Maya collection was the Miraflores Museum, which promotes Mayan archeology among schoolchildren and a wide range of audiences. For La  Ruta Maya it is a privilege to work closely with the Museum, especially in the loan of archaeological objects in good condition. To date, a total of 77 works of art have been given on loan, especially from the Peten Lowlands.

For the year 2011, a new group of pre-Columbian objects have been selected, made of different materials and from the same period as Kaminaljuyú, mostly from the Central Highlands of Guatemala and the Pacific piedmont. This collection will be viewed at the Museum in the near future and will enrich the valuable collection Miraflores already has from this region of the country.
 

MAYAN EXHIBITION AT THE OCCIDENTE FINANCIAL GROUP

As a joint project of outreach, education and enhancement of the cultural heritage of the country, La Ruta Maya Conservation Foundation presents a selected collection of Mayan works of art in the lobby of the CORPORACION DE OCCIDENTE building, located on 7th Avenue 7-33 zone 9, Guatemala city. 

This effort began last October 2010 with the remodelation of the customer service areas and will continue with the exhibition of new Mayan objects during the years 2011 and 2012, which will change every six months to illustrate various topics on art and Mayan culture.

The current exhibition celebrates the Maya artists, although known for their monumental and beautiful buildings, they also practiced other arts that were of great importance.

The artist was a leading figure in Mayan society, usually related to the ruling family and the nobility. The artist was usually a specialized artisan and a craftsman prepared in various disciplines such as writing, calligraphy, calendrics, and the meaning and representation of symbols (iconography).

The exhibit consists of 34 objects, among them several ceramic vessels, figurines, musical instruments, a conch-shell carved with the image of a ruler, and a fine collection of clay stamps. The stamps, with varied forms of animals and other designs, were used in antiquity to print decorative designs on textiles and other surfaces.

The objects shown are dated from the Classic period (250-900 AD) and belong to the lowlands of El Petén, the Guatemalan Pacific coast, and the highlands.

Recently, the French government awarded the Order of the Arts and Literature, in rank of Knight, to Mr Fernando Paiz Andrade in recognition for his work on the promotion of the Guatemalan culture and heritage in the World. During the ceremony of this important order and recognition and in the presence of the French Ambassador, Michele Ramis, as well as local authorities and representatives of the international community, the project to build the MAYA MUSEUM OF AMERICA in Guatemala was announced.

"My dream is to create a world-class museum, operated under the strict rules that govern most international museums. This museum would be responsible for the protection and cataloguing of our heritage, making it available to scholars and the general public", said Paiz Andrade, who was the former president of the Paiz Foundation and currently directs La Ruta Maya Conservation Foundation and PACUNAM- Maya Cultural and Natural Heritage Foundation.

Paiz stated that he seeks to "create a museum with a unique and exceptional architecture, at an accessible location to all people" and stressed that the MAYA MUSEUM OF AMERICA "is going to position Guatemala as a world-class cultural destination, able to significantly increase the number of visitors to the country. We all know that the Maya also lived in Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Belize, but if someone wants to go to Maya Museum of America, the visitor will have to come to Guatemala". 

The aim is to open the first phase of this major project on the night of December 21, 2012. This is a significant date that should begin with an optimistic vision of the future, a new Maya millennium in honor of the historic legacy of the precolumbian culture of the country, contrary to the belief that it will be the end of the World. Paiz also indicated that this project will seek to contribute to the revitalization of Guatemala City as part of the  Metropolitan Park, to be built near La Aurora International Airport . "The architectural complex within the park should become a symbol of the city and the country."

The MAYA MUSEUM OF AMERICA will be a joint effort of the government of Guatemala, the municipality of the capital city, private companies and foundations, as well as other social groups," Paiz said.