Under the Northern Sky: Barbara Arcuschin

Barbara Arcuschin Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1985. Is a self-taught visual artist, As time went by, her professional life began to lean toward photography and audiovisual documentation. Formed in art clinics and seminars with local renowned photographers such as Guillermo Ueno, Fabiana Barreda, and Alberto Goldenstein. In 2016 she was selected and attend the artists’ program at Torcuato Di Tella University.

Argentina – 

Barbara Arcuschin’s travel to Northwest Argentina was manifold and inspiring. She documented her way through Argentina’s Jujuy province- a land of beauty, color, serenity and kindness. Barbara shared with Emaho this experience of hers in words and photographs.

Barbara Arcuschin’s journey to northern Argentina was, initially, a decision based on a fairly natural inquisitiveness to know the North of one’s own country. She starts off by remarking, “It certainly was an interesting travel.”

The Jujuy Province is located in the extreme northwest of Argentina and shares its borders with Chile and Bolivia. Describing her travel across the Jujuy Province she says, “Jujuy Province is composed of four distinct regions with each having its unique attractions – from the vast salt flats of the Puna Desert to the Quebrada de Humahuaca, a World Heritage Site, and towns like Tilcara, Purmamarca and Humahuaca, where the past is preserved almost intact, and pre-Columbian art is present in its entirety; and from the lush vegetation and crystal clear rivers of the Valleys to the incredible high jungle of the Yungas, a stretch of forest along the Andes Mountains from Peru, Bolivia and northern Argentina. Experiencing all these places left me inspired and renewed.”

 

© Barbara Arcuschin

 

Barbara reminiscences about the beauty of the region, explaining the strong colours of the land from the darkest of browns to the most orange, the vast open sky and the radiating golden sun. She adds that the colorful outfits of the locals seem to make the land acquire each shade of the rainbow.

Passing through Purmamarca, also known as the desert city, left an impression on Barbara that the place was desolate, almost untouched, except for the few who pass through it. From there on, Barbara went to Tilcara, famous for its dramatic mountainous landscapes and trekked through San Isidro de Iruya. Climbing mountains, crossing rivers, Barbara got an opportunity to engage with the locals and also experience their rich food and warm hospitality. Commenting on what she observed about the locals, Barbara says ” People have a particular look there. Women always wear a hat on their head, with hair tied in long braids. The men and women wear brightly colored accessories. The people are humble and hardworking. They use their natural resources to sell their own merchandise. They are usually very polite and will greet you even if they don’t know you.”

 

© Barbara Arcuschin

 

The highlight of Barbara’s journey to the northwest Argentina, however, was being in La Quiaca, a small city in the Jujuy Province, which shares its borders with Villazon- a town in Bolivia. Just walk down a tunnel and you enter another world of noisy traders, local crafts and much more. It’s a sudden transition from the quiet and calm setting of Argentina to the noisy and bustling markets of Bolivia.

This journey of Barbara ended with the realization of the things that are indispensable for living, about time and about showing kindness to people. She says that she’s more appreciative of relationships, nature, the little things in life, as also the colorful things in life!

 

Art & Culture Featured – Written by – Saraswati Banerjee

Photo Credit – Barbara Arcuschin

Related Posts

Alyssa Monk’s Photo-Realistic Paintings

USA –  Monks‘s paintings have been the subject of numerous solo and group exhibitions including “Intimacy” at the Kunst Museum ...

Chang-Jin Lee: Comfort Women Wanted

South Korea –  This project is based on my trips to Asia since 2008, interviewing the Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, Indonesian, ...

#High #Higher #SUPERHIGH!

Germany –  Arte co-production explores nine ways to get high without drugs German artist duo Boris Eldagsen and Sabine Taeubner ...

Jon Muir : Aussie Ardor

Australia –  From traversing across Australia and peregrinating to both poles, to climbing Everest like it’s a routine part of ...

Jean-François Lepage : ‘It’s necessary to go against the flow’

France –  For an artist who started making photographs at a young age, the novelty of his art form has ...

Adil and Vasundhara-‘Let’s not obsess over being more exotic than we actually are.’

India –  Emaho caught up with diabolical duo Adil & Vasundhara – Adil Manuel (Guitar) and Vasundhara Vidalur (Vocals), and ...

BANG AND BURN – Charlie Grosso

 U.S.A. – Emaho caught up with Charlie Grosso, a Chinese American artist based in California. Her work is primarily photography ...

At Home in Morocco – Thierry Brouard

Morocco – “When they first told me I was chosen to be on the jury for a short movie festival ...

Deconstructing Communitas – Nabil Sabio Azadi

New Zealand – Emaho caught up with Iranian and inveterate traveller, Nabil Sabio Azadi to find out what his latest ...