Contributed photo
'Casco' (Quimbaya culture) will be part of the Colombian travelling exhibition, 'Gold of the Gods', opening this week at the National Gallery of Jamaica.Georgia Hemmings, Staff Reporter
Gold as a sacred metal (magical and mythical), and the skilled craftsmanship of Colombian goldsmiths are themes underlying the exhibition Gold of the Gods, scheduled to open on Thursday, October 24, at the National Gallery of Jamaica (NGJ) in the Oceana Mall, downtown Kingston.The exhibition was previously scheduled for Wednesday, October 23, but was postponed to facilitate the swearing-in of the new Cabinet.
The exhibition is being presented by the gallery, in association with the Colombian Embassy, under the Bi-national Neighbourhood Commission between Colombia and Jamaica.
Under the programme, which has been in force since 1996, the two Governments collaborate on a number of cultural/educational, trade and other technical areas for co-operation.
The summer language exchange, for example, facilitates the visit of 40 Jamaican students from the University of the West Indies (UWI) to Colombia for a six-week intensive language programme. In turn, 40 students from Colombia travel to Jamaica to learn English.
"This serves the purpose of consolidating friendships and strengthening relations between the two countries," Colombian Ambassador, Alfonso Munera, told The Sunday Gleaner. "It's very important for us to have people speaking English and for Jamaica to have Spanish speakers."
Artistic exchange is facilitated in the areas of music, arts and crafts, and literary arts. Last May, a Jamaican delegation was invited to attend an international book fair held in Colombia, and, from time to time, UWI professors and tutors participate in seminars and workshops held in Colombia.
The Gold of the Gods travelling exhibition is expected to "highlight the importance of pre-Colombian art, a period when gold was worked profusely, and was a symbol of wealth and power," Ambassador Munera told The Sunday Gleaner.
The exhibition comprises 37 replicas of pre-Colombian masterworks from different indigenous cultures throughout the country. The originals of these art works are in the Gold Museum in Bogota.
"By viewing these, visitors can get an idea of the skill, expertise and imagination of their creators," Mr. Munera said. "The work of Colombia's native goldsmiths represents an all-time pinnacle of achievement in the field of metallurgy and is a unique chapter in the history of world art."
Among the indigenous cultures on display are Calima, Cauca, Muisca, Quimbaya, Sinu, Tolima, Tairona, and Tumaco, dating from as early as 300 BC. Most of the items are ceremonial, produced for religious or political purposes and are intricately shaped and decorated.
The Ambassador will be the guest speaker at the exhibition's opening, and the show will run until November 23.
