Lost city

The work Lost City was inspired by a book entitled 'Lost City of the Incas' written by Hiram Bingham. His text captures the magnificence and mystery of the amazing archeological sites he uncovered. The book was written in 1911, when the author ventured into the wild and unknown country of Peruvian Andes and discovered the most famous monument of Peru - Machu Picchu, as well as less recognisable ones including the abandoned city of Kuelap in the Amazonas district. This fascinating archeological site is not very popular among the tourists as it is located in the North of Peru - the least developed part of the country. I was lucky enough to retrace the footsteps of Bingham's journey during my work as translator. During my stay I discovered that the city of Kuelap was over thousand years older than Machu Picchu and it was built by the Chachapoyas tribe. The remains of the architecture of the place and the unique artworks made a strong impression on me. I wanted to present the place with my own mark and still be able to let the beauty of the place shine through: by using cyanotype I have recreated a rich blue collar representing the lapis lazuli stone used by the Chachapoyas tribe in their artworks. Blurred and slightly melancholic images are the representation of my subjective perception of the lost city - the beauty and sadness of its decay. The project provides a synthesis of past and present, where the boundary between history, memory and imagination is no longer visible..