La Capilla del Hombre, or the Chapel of the Man, is an astounding museum envisioned by the now deceased Oswaldo Guayasimin. Guayasimin is, arguably, Ecuador's most famous artist. In his Chapel of the Man, Oswaldo, has honored the indigenous people of Latin America through tortured paintings, intricate sculptures, and an eternal flame drifting towards a ceiling mosaic of spirits from a mining tragedy in Bolivia.
I found this museum to be one of the most powerful places I have been in many years. I'm on a bit of a Latin American socialist kick right now, reading Eduardo Galeano and being moved by Guayasamin. Of course, there is no easy answer to the racism, bigotry, and indecency handed to the indigenous people of any country, America included, but knowledge must be the first step.
I'll take the readers of this blog on a short tour of the Capilla, but really, you must come here and see this amazing place with your own eyes.
The Capilla was finished after Guayasimin's death in 1999. The pyramid you can see here on top of the Chapel houses his mosaic to the workers of the Bolivian mine.
The Capilla is located directly below his house (shown below, and yes, there is some controversy over the wealth Guayasimin accumulated "fighting" for the poorest of the poor).
You can actually see the Capilla if you look very carefully, from our porch. However, much more interesting for us, was looking at our home, from HIS front porch.
The Long View: (Remember, you can click on these and blow them up if you really want to see what will fall down on top of us in an earthquake....)
And, the short view. Our house is marked by a red circle at the bottom of the photograph. The red line represents the reason I am tired every morning by the time we are done walking to the bus! And the Blue Circle? The mansion set off from the hotel only twice it's size to the right of it? Surrounded by amazing forest in an ocean of cement called Quito?
That's the American Ambassador's House.
But, back to Guayasamin. I'll need to go back and take the tour (which is offered in English) a couple of more times before I can comment on these paintings. I was so taken aback, most of the guides words floated in one ear, and out the other. But truly, this is a place I could go again, and again, and again....
Below is the famous Andean Condor and the Spanish Bull, symbolizing the struggle of the indigenous people and Spain. In front of it, the eternal flame, reaching up to the ceiling mosaic.... For a size reference, don't miss the people sitting to the right.
Finally, my favorite painting in the Capilla, a tribute to the people of Chile, particularly those who suffered under the dictatorship of Pinochet.
Though his monetary intentions have been criticized, the trickle-down-effect of Guayasimin to the native Quechua people of Ecuador today is undeniably symbolized in any native artisan market. Though they may not have swimming pools overlooking Quito, his legacy has left them with plenty of opportunity to pirate a few paintings off to enamored gringos! Mine was 12 dollars.
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