“Sacred Place and Possession in the Andes: Carabuco Cross and Copacabana Virgen”
Benavides is advancing an art-historical study of the Copacabana Virgen and the Carabuco Cross, two Christian miraculous sculptures located within the sight line of ancient places of origin at Lake Titicaca whose diffusion in the early modern period extended globally. The project foregrounds the underlying extractive ethos that structured the colonial enterprise, placing the Copacabana Virgin and the Carabuco Cross at the intersection of the politics of colonial land possession and mining performed under exploitative labor conditions in the Andes. Special attention will be paid to the Jesuit and Augustinian friars’ propaganda concerning these sculptures in conjunction with the compelling promotional efforts of South American bishoprics and Indigenous artists, patrons, and confraternities.
Professional Biography
Annick Benavides is a PhD candidate at Harvard University with particular interest in pre-Hispanic and Colonial art of the Andes. Prior to enrolling at Harvard, she worked as director of El Museo Pedro de Osma in Lima, Peru. She holds a master’s degree in art history from the University of New Mexico and a bachelor’s degree in art history from Williams College. She worked for several years developing educational outreach programs for adult and school-aged museum visitors in New York City, Raleigh, and Lima. Benavides currently serves on the board of directors of the Museo de Arte de Lima (MALI) and World Monuments Fund Peru.