Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (Peru) Quipu of the reunion: weaving the memory of Estudios Generales Letras
The “Quipu del reencuentro” seeks to link the past, present and future in a broad collective record of the experiences of the members of Estudios Generales Letras through a collaborative creation.
Knotting our experiences and reconnecting with our history in community is the intention behind the “Quipu of reunion“. This collaborative art installation, consisting of strings and colored knots, intervenes different spaces of Estudios Generales Letras (USA). GG. LL.). Thus, it presents a metaphor of the present, past history and projection to the future of the US community. GG. LL. in order to strengthen the links, and enrich the sense of formation and belonging among all its members.
The goal is for the largest number of U.S. members to be able to do so. GG. LL. (students, graduates, professors and administrators) are part of this facility. For this, they summoned their community to make their own ropes and knots from the basic materials and guidelines they provided. The number of ropes and knots depends entirely on the participants, and these have been added to the “Quipu of the reunion”.
A rope, an experience
The Quipu was developed during the 2022-2 semester by a group of students, led by Professor Giancarlo León, from the Department of Art and Design. It has three basic sections marked by main colors: the past (blue), the present (yellow) and the future (green). During the production of the project, students performed three types of quipus: numerical (relevant dates or numerical quantities), narrative (coded phrases and messages) and creative (free expressions).
Each string represents a metaphor for the present, past history and projection into the future as individuals in community.
The project also had the participation of volunteer students, who went through training. Then, they became facilitators for those who approached the “Quipu stand”, located in the US reading garden. GG. LL. It was thus that the “aorta” of the Quipu was formed, which consists of a large rope of all colors, and that goes from the building at the southeast end and then knotted with the section of the Quipu located in the roundabout. It is from this junction that all the main strings that support the individual strings come out.
What’s next for Quipu
The preparation of the Quipu, in addition, includes talks on scientific research on quipus and on the history of General Studies Letters. A documentary on the process of collective creation and the participation of members of the U.S. community will also be shown. GG. LL.
Although the project now goes on pause at the end of the year, it will resume throughout the 2023-1 semester until reaching its maximum size at the end of the same cycle. The dream is to add ropes, knots and experiences of students, teachers, administrators and graduates of General Studies Letters until it becomes the largest team in the world.