“Costa Rica: Land of Wonders” is the name of the archeological Pre-Columbian art exhibition being shown at Casa Iberoamerica, in Cadiz, Spain, until October 25th, 2012.
This exhibition is part of the cultural offer that the Town Hall and the Municipal Society of Cadiz have prepared to celebrate the Bicentennial of the Constitution of Cadiz and the designation of Cadiz as the 2012 Iberoamerican Capital of Culture.
“Costa Rica: Land of Wonders” is a sample of 250 objects of gold, jade, stone and ceramics, which takes people on a tour of what archaeologist and curator of the National Museum of Costa Rica, Ricardo Vazquez, has called the “archaeological diversity available in Costa Rica “, a term coined by the museum’s team to highlight the presence of three clearly defined archaeological regions in a small country such as Costa Rica.
Vazquez, who is currently in Cadiz with a group of specialists from the museum, indicates that the exhibition evokes the nature of Costa Rica. With this exhibition, the Town Hall in Cadiz sought to contrast the natural beauty with the archaeological beauty of Costa Rica. The exhibition begins by showing the environmental richness of the country. Then each of the pre-Columbian pieces is shown with the picture of the animal it represents.
The exhibition also represents the archeological periods of the country, showing the beginning, development, and collapse of chiefdoms (cacicales) in different regions of the country.
In addition, “Costa Rica: Land of Wonders” shows a contrast between elite and ceremonial objects, which demonstrate the high level of craftsmanship reached by Costa Rican indigenous groups. Thus, people have the chance to see domestic objects and tools used by different indigenous tribes, and appreciate the similarities and differences between the social classes present in Costa Rica during pre-colonial times.
This exhibition, which displays a selection of the best pieces of the archaeological collection of the National Museum, began its journey around the world in November 2008, when it opened for five months with great success at the Pointe-à-Callière Museum of Archeology and History of Montreal, Canada.
In December, 2009, the exhibition was displayed in the temporary exhibition rooms of the National Museum, where it caught the attention and interest of the Mayoress of Cadiz.
After negotiations between the Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCJD) and the Town Hall in Cadiz, the exhibition was finally scheduled to open in Cadiz on July 25th for a period of three months.
The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
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