Casa de la Cultura Tupac Inca Yupanqui
Contemporary Peruvian Art and Cultural Center
The Casa de la Cultura Tupac Inca Yupanqui in Cusco Peru is
a contempory art and cultural center acknowledging the Inca
past while emphasizing contemporary art and culture of
Peru. It is located at 159 Q’hapchikijllu (previously 265
Calle Arequipa) just 2 blocks from the Plaza de Armas in
Cusco... almost in the center of town and part of the
monumental district. The cultural center is part of our
house which besides the cultural center and our apartment
includes the art gallery Fractal Dragon and Two Nations
Restaurant, and a few stores selling art or fine artisanal
products compatible with the concept of a cultural center.
Galería de Arte
Fractal Dragon. The
Fractal Dragon Art Gallery (in
depth) presents contemporary Peruvian art...
paintings, ceramics and sculpture for viewing and for
sale. The gallery currently comprises three rooms in
the first floor of the house, and two large galleries,
an office and gallery store on the 2nd floor of the
house. The director of the gallery is Elena Mendoza
who also serves as director of the Cultural Center.
Two Nations Restaurant
- Now Open. We have 4 dining areas: the
bakery/cafe with direct access to the street, the
patio/beer garden, the more refined dining room with
seating for 30 persons, and the TV/Movie/Sport room.
The menu offers both a rich variety of Peruvian and
International fare and full service bar.
Casa Tupac
Yupanqui in pictures. Our physical 'house' has a
title dating back to 1732 with the house perhaps
constructed even earlier. It is located on the city
block which made up the imperial palace of the Inka
Tupac Yupanqui in pre-Columbian times. The
architecture is a mix of colonial and republican. The
house is two story adobe construction with walls one
meter thick, roofs of antique ceramic tiles and a
modest patio surrounded by the four wings of the
house. The spacious galleries on the 2nd floor are
shared between the art gallery and cultural center.
The patio is shared by all members of our community.
We also maintain part of the 2nd floor as our
apartment.
It is a difficult task fixing up an antiquity while
maintaining architectural and cultural integrity within
some kind of reasonable budget during a world-wide economic
crisis. We’ve almost finished work on the antique part of
house and had an official opening with invitees from many
of the venues in Cusco on September 1. Our apartment is not
really finished, so we walk between our apartment and the
bathroom and kitchenette that are now part of the 2nd floor
art gallery and cultural center.
If you wish to learn more about the house, please email the
coordinator of Casa Tupac Yupanqui.
Blogging on
the Cultural Center. The mission of the cultural
center is to promote contemporary art and culture of
Cusco (and the rest of Peru and South America in that
order). We host workshops, presentations and
exhibitions in the plastic/visual and performing arts
in our exhibition halls and smaller workshop spaces.
Members of the Cusco community and visitors to Cusco
interact with the contemporary the art and culture in
Cusco and with the various artists and performers
resident or visiting Cusco. With our emphasis on
‘contemporary’ you won’t see copies or re-enactments
of colonial or pre-Columbian dances, music, or art,
but you may see the fusion of contemporary art with
our colonial and pre-Columbian inheritance. The Blog
maintains the history of cultural events in the
center.
