Please Note: This is a free program, registration required. Registration for current Smithsonian Associates members will begin on Thursday, May 14, 2026 and the general public on Monday May 18, 2026.
In the Peruvian Amazon, efforts to preserve cultural heritage, ancestral knowledge, and biodiversity are increasingly interconnected, shaped by the creative work of Indigenous artists and the scientific research of Peruvian and American scholars. Together, these approaches highlight the deep links between culture, ecology, and long-term environmental stewardship.
The works of contemporary Peruvian artists establish a dialogue between art, memory, territory, and knowledge. Some draw from the visual tradition of kené and the Shipibo-Konibo worldview, in which ancestral designs express connections among people, plants, animals, and the forest; other artists investigate territory, identity, and language, reflecting on Peru's 48 Indigenous languages and how ancestral knowledge is fundamental to the cultural and ecological preservation of the Amazon.
Alongside these cultural traditions, scientific research conducted by American and Peruvian teams seeks to understand, document, and protect the Amazon’s biodiversity, climate systems, and ecological resilience. Through fieldwork in Peru, Smithsonian researchers study species diversity, forest dynamics, and the impacts of environmental change, often in close collaboration with local and Indigenous communities. This work supports conservation strategies that recognize cultural knowledge and biological complexity as equally vital to safeguarding the Amazon.
Together, contemporary artistic practices and Smithsonian-supported research offer a complementary model of preservation—one in which Indigenous worldviews and rigorous scientific inquiry function as mutually reinforcing tools for sustaining the Peruvian Amazon.
Learn more about how art and science work in tandem to understand and preserve the Amazon in Peru in a moderated panel discussion featuring artists Olinda Reshinjabe Silvano, Graciela Arias Salazar, and Natalia Revilla alongside Dolores Piperno, senior scientist and curator of archaeobotany and South American Archaeology emerita at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, moderated by Gabriela Rosso, psychologist, art curator, and director of RoFa Projects.
Following the panel discussion, attendees enjoy a light reception and the opportunity to view an exhibition of contemporary Peruvian art connected to the Amazon and its cultural traditions, curated by Rosso.
Know Before You Go
- Parts of this program are in Spanish with English translation.
- The Embassy of Peru is a historic building with limited accessibility. For questions, please contact the Embassy directly at 202-833-9860.
About the Enduring Power of International Exchange series
Hosted in partnership with Smithsonian's Office of Global Affairs and with embassies that have built strong, lasting relationships with the United States, this series honors the vital role diplomacy, cultural exchange, and mutual respect have played in shaping our nation and its place in the world. From the earliest days surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence to contemporary collaborations in science, art, and global affairs, embassy relationships have helped advance dialogue and deepened understanding. In this milestone year, these programs underscore how international friendships—nurtured through history, culture, and creativity—continue to strengthen the American story. Each program is free, requires registration, and includes a reception.
The Enduring Power of International Exchange is organized by Smithsonian Associates as part of the Smithsonian's "Our Shared Future: 250."
Additional Enduring Power of International Exchange programs
General Information
- Registration for this program will end by 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
