THE GOLD WE INHERITED, THE GOLD OF OUR DREAMS

Gold has fascinated humanity for millennia. What ancient civilization did not glimpse the sun in its yellow glow, nor did it seek proximity to immortality by bathing in its lasting brightness? In Peru, my native country, gold was used in the sacred ceremonies of pre-Columbian indigenous cultures as early as 2000 BC, and was then conquered by the strength of Inca temples by the Spanish conquerors. Italian historian Antonello Gerbi once pointed out, long before the man set foot in South America, the future of Peru was written in the past embedded in his land.

This is the legacy that we Peruvians have inherited. Today, Peru is one of the main suppliers of gold that circulates in the world, as it was during the Spanish colony. Gold continues to feed our dreams, forming events in the process. Global demand forgave in recent decades -from financial traders, banks, technology companies and jewelers- they have supported legal and illegal mines in Peru that have enriched many while enslaving or dispossessing others and polluting the environment.

For this project, I turned my lens to focus on the big picture: the association of gold with both the sacred and the sinister in Peruvian culture throughout the centuries. I originally imagined bright photographs to imitate the golden glow of the sun. But I ended up being attracted to the darkness that surrounded the warm glow of gold that hints at the mystery, greed and violence associated over time. That, too, I think, is part of the gold legacy in Peru. The yellow flash glimpsed in the darkness, the promise of riches for anyone willing to capture it.