The snake is an important animal for many Indigenous cultures across the Americas and it is often depicted in a knot or a coil. The image of the coiled serpent serves as a symbol of the circular, reiterative, and continuous presence of pre-Hispanic objects and iconographies across contemporary cultures in Latin America.

This free half-day symposium, held in conjunction with the exhibition Guadalupe Maravilla: Armonía de la Esfera, examines the study of pre-Hispanic art from archaeological and historical perspectives as well as its legacy in contemporary art and visual culture in Latin America. No registration is required to attend.

Panel 1: Archaeological Studies of pre-Hispanic Art at Cornell
9:45–11:00AM

This panel takes as its starting point the pre-Hispanic artworks selected from Cornell’s Anthropology Collections and the Johnson Museum of Art by the artist Guadalupe Maravilla for inclusion in the exhibition. Professor John S. Henderson and graduate students Rafael Cruz Gil and Andrea Mauri (Department of Anthropology) will discuss the characteristics, provenance, and archaeological significance of the works on view.

Panel 2: Pre-Hispanic Art and Contemporary Latinx Art, A Conversation
11:30AM–12:30PM

In this conversation, co-curator of the exhibition and graduate student Rodrigo Guzman-Serrano will join artist and healer Guadalupe Maravilla, Associate Professor Ananda Cohen-Aponte (Department of History of Art & Visual Studies), and artist Emilio Rojas (visiting critic, Department of Art), to discuss the role of pre-Hispanic heritage and Indigeneity as an ongoing source of inspiration in contemporary Latinx art and visual culture.

Guadalupe Maravilla: Armonía de la Esfera is the second in a series of exhibitions and programs developed in conjunction with the Migrations Global Grand Challenge, part of Global Cornell, with support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation’s Just Futures Initiative.