{"product_id":"cecilia-vicuna-arbol-de-significados-porotos-tree-of-meanings-beans-as-writing-2026","title":"Cecilia Vicuña | Arbol de significados, (porotos Paracas), Tree of Meanings, (Beans as writing, Paracas) (2026)","description":"\u003cp\u003e[[specs start]]\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDigital pigment print with enamel and gloss silkscreen detail on Hahnemuhle Museum Etching 350gsm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"xmsonormal\"\u003eSize: \u003cspan\u003e47 x 33.5 cm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"xmsonormal\"\u003eEdition of 40, signed and numbered\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[[specs end]]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[[work start]] \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the work\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eCecilia Vicuña has created \u003ci\u003eArbol de significados, (porotos Paracas), Tree of Meanings, (Beans as writing, Paracas)\u003c\/i\u003e, 2026, for Whitechapel Gallery, on the occasion of her exhibition ‘Cecilia Vicuña: Living Threads’ 7 October 2026 – 14 February 2027.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eVicuña’s edition, created as a digital pigment print with silkscreen enamel and \u003cspan\u003egloss-glazed\u003c\/span\u003e detail, takes as it’s starting point \u003cspan\u003efrom \u003c\/span\u003eher 2024 painting of the same name. Within the image, a tree takes centre stage, with beans sprouting from the tips of the branches.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eThe artist often \u003cspan\u003ewrites \"explanations\" for her paintings. \u003c\/span\u003eIn this case:\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e“\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePerhaps to counter the idea of a ‘Tree of knowledge’, I imagine a ‘Tree of meanings’, a tree of painted beans, as a knowledge based on the language of earth. Beans speaking to us. When you look up ‘bean writing’ in ancient Peru, you find beans dressed as warriors, painted in Moche ceramics, a thousand years ago. Other studies consider painted beans ‘a matter that has raised sufficient uncertainties among scholars.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBut in my painted universe, the beans say:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘We are the triumph of the Peruvian people.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Peru is not to be plundered, but to be loved.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Lima beans are the flaming spirit of Peru.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Bean geometry says we cannot be defeated’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Bean people know how to persist.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Bean people will never be defeated.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘We are an invincible bean person with our ponchito.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘We are the triumph of the Peruvian people.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Peru is not to be plundered, but to be loved.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Lima beans are the flaming spirit of Peru.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Bean geometry says we cannot be defeated’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Bean people know how to persist.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘Bean people will never be defeated.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan\u003e‘We are an invincible bean person with our ponchito.’\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan\u003e “\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNoSpacing\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"\u003e[[work end]]\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e[[artist start]]\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eAbout the artist\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"accordionContent\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"ms-outlook-mobile-reference-message skipProofing\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eCecilia Vicuña (b.1948, Santiago, Chile) is one of Latin America’s most internationally renowned artists, poets, and feminist activists. Vicuña’s interdisciplinary practice intentionally dissolves the boundaries between visual art, poetry, performance, ritual and activism. Born and raised in Santiago, Vicuña came to London to study at Slade School of Art in the early 1970s, and self-exiled after the violent military coup against President Salvador Allende in 1973.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eAs a creative and personal response to the situation in Chile, Vicuña’s practice became more explicitly political during the Allende period (1970-73), a process that intensified in London reflecting her experience of displacement, loss, political violence and instability. Another key facet of Vicuña’s work, evident from the 1960s onwards, is her deep commitment to honouring and preserving ecosystems and indigenous systems of knowledge. Many of her installations function as acts of remembrance for cultures, languages and ways of being that have been suppressed by dominant Western models and colonial systems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNoSpacing\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"\u003e[[artist end]]\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNoSpacing\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"\u003e[[exhibitions start]]\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eSelected Exhibitions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"MsoNormal\"\u003eCecilia Vicuña’s work has been shown as part of a number of solo exhibitions at major institutions, including the Museo de Bellas Artes, Santiago de Chile, Chile (2023); Tate Modern, London, United Kingdom (2022); Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY (2022); Museo de Arte Miguel Urrutia (MAMU), Bogotá, Colombia (2022); Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo (CA2M), Madrid, Spain (2021); CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art, San Francisco, CA (2020); and Museo Universitario de Arte Contemporáneo, Mexico City, Mexico (2020).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;\"\u003e[[exhibitions end]]\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWhitechapel Gallery editions are generously donated by the artists. All proceeds from the sale of these works directly support our exhibition and education programmes. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs is traditional in editions publishing, prices will rise as an edition starts to sell out. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor UK Customers, VAT is included in the price shown.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe purchase of this edition is subject to resale restrictions. See Terms and Conditions at point of sale.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Miranda Forrester","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56213555577217,"sku":null,"price":550.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0684\/2147\/files\/Cecilia_Vicuna_copy.png?v=1790687576","url":"https:\/\/shop.whitechapelgallery.org\/products\/cecilia-vicuna-arbol-de-significados-porotos-tree-of-meanings-beans-as-writing-2026","provider":"Whitechapel Gallery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}