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The exhibition, “The Art of Being Diaguita”, which was first shown in the Chilean Museum of Pre-Columbian Art in Santiago, provides an insight into different aspects of the identity of this indigenous people from the valleys of central-northern Chile.
The Diaguita descend from the ancient El Molle and Las Ánimas societies. Their identity is reflected above all in a type of pottery that is unique among the pre-Columbian cultures of what is today Chile. It is characterized by its complex abstract designs which follow intricate geometric patterns that reportedly have a shamanic origin.
The designs have survived until today in the area’s imagery and can be seen in murals, on pavements and in other places as well as in excellent reproductions by local artisans.
In view of the contemporaneity of this people’s artistic expressions, the exhibition also includes the stories and testimonies of some its present-day representatives.
