Travel back in time to Inca civilization

Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru opens at Boca Raton Museum of Art next month

Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru will make its world premiere in South Florida at the Boca Raton Museum of Art, beginning on October 16, 2021.

As Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru takes flight for the first time, massive crowds and tourists from around the world are expected during the inaugural stop of its global tour in South Florida this Fall at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. Eager fans can finally secure their coveted places in line for this once-in-a-lifetime experience. This combination of rarely seen, world-class museum artifacts alongside technological breakthroughs in virtual reality is unparalleled.

The museum experience consists of one of the most impressive gold collections ever to tour the globe, highlighted by a fully intact Gold attire of a Chimú Emperor that dates to 1300 AD, predating the Inca Empire. On loan from Museo Larco and Museo Manuel Chávez Ballon, the exhibition will feature a stunning selection of 192 priceless artifacts that include the spectacular gold and silver royal burial garments of legendary Andean lords.

Audiences will discover an all-new, immersive museum experience that will transport visitors to the jewel of the Southern Hemisphere’s cradle of civilization, the Incan city of Machu Picchu ‒ voted one of the new seven wonders of the world. The exhibition will encompass the entire museum, including all galleries on both floors. This dazzling collection of ancient Peruvian artifacts features the most opulent collection of Andean gold to ever travel the globe.

The experience will also feature the first-ever virtual reality expedition of Machu Picchu, recorded in 2020 during the unprecedented closure of the site during the pandemic. It was the first time in recent history this majestic City in the Sky was completely empty, filmed using state of the art drone-VR technology.

These breathtaking virtual reality vistas of the mythical landmark, without any humans present, are a passageway for museum guests on an astonishing journey to this UNESCO World Heritage Site

This all-new, media-rich, artifact-based museum experience will transport guests into the jewel of the only cradle of civilization in the Southern Hemisphere, the Incan city of Machu Picchu. The exhibition focuses on ancient societies that predate the Inca empire. Rivaled only by Ancient Egypt in longevity and by the Roman Empire in engineering, Andean societies dominated a substantial segment of South America for over 3,000 years.

Frontal adornment of 18-karat gold headdress depicting a feline head with half-moon headdress and two birds. The gold is a gold-copper-silver ternary alloy with chemical composition of 78.5% gold, 12.5% copper, and 9% silver. The piece received a final treatment known as depletion gilding. Mochica. Boom Period (1 AD – 800 AD)

Cityneon presents the exhibition with support from the Government of Peru, the Peruvian Ministry of Culture, and in partnership with Inkaterra Asociación. Visitors to the exhibition will embark on a journey through time and discover a culture that thrived in a genuinely spiritual civilization.

The exhibition will start its limited run in South Florida before leaving the U.S. and embarking on a multi-country tour. The Boca Raton Museum of Art is perfectly located near the tourism destinations of Miami, Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale.

“It is an honor to be chosen as the first museum destination that launches the global tour of Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru, and to partner with such esteemed cultural institutions to bring this exhibition to the United States,” said Irvin Lippman, Executive Director of the Boca Raton Museum of Art.

***Copper funerary mask with applications of shell and stone, depicting an anthropomorphic visage with feline fangs (Ai Apaec). Mochica. Boom Period (1 AD – 800 AD)***

“We look forward to introducing South Florida and the world to the wonders of Machu Picchu and the power and beauty of the Inca civilization for what promises to be a memorable exhibition.”

Guided throughout the exhibition by Ai Apaec, a mythical Andean hero, visitors will gain a window into transformation through the forces of nature that result in his death and subsequent rebirth. In this exotic land nothing is fixed and beings can change from one form to another. Throughout this dramatically staged expedition, the sounds of roaring jaguars, screaming macaws, and torrential rainfall surround visitors as they unravel the mysteries of Andean cosmology and marvel at the sophistication of Andean artists. “At this once-in-a- lifetime exhibition, visitors will have the opportunity to come face-to-face with history in a whole new way,” said Executive Chairman & Group Chief Executive Officer of Cityneon, Ron Tan.

LEFT: Ear ornament of gold, shell, and stone (turquoise or malachite), depicting eight iguanas. Four of the iguanas are gold and four are turquoise. Mochica. Boom Period (1 AD – 800 AD). RIGHT: Gold and turquoise nose ornament depicting figure with half-moon and club-head headdress, circular ear ornaments and loincloth, holding a rattle. Mochica. Boom Period (1 AD – 800 AD)

“We are excited to provide the chance for guests to encounter the ancient cultures who lived in this impressive fortress 7,000 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains.”

Empire’s enduring symbol of architectural prowess is protected by twin sacred mountains and is invisible from below. Further adding to its unrivaled beauty, the flourishing landscape of Machu Picchu has restored much of the original biodiversity that it enjoyed in Incan times through a recent reforestation initiative.

“As we get closer to launching the premiere engagement, our team is truly excited to share this world class production with South Floridians,” stated President of World Heritage Exhibitions, Anthony Tann. “We’ve been working around the clock to bring to the South Florida one of the most awe-inspiring exhibitions to ever tour the world. With a combined 50-years in this business, we’ve never seen a production quite like this. Beyond the stunning collection of Peruvian artifacts courtesy of Museo Larco and Museo de Sitio Manuel Chávez Ballón, the team at Virtual Worlds delivered a virtual reality experience that will make you feel as though you are walking through the stone fortress at Machu Picchu.”

LEFT: Sculptural stirrup spout bottle depicting a hybrid zoomorphic figure (rampant feline / Moon Animal / Dog or Lunar Fox / Andean dragon). The piece contains details achieved by incrusting 148 shell beads (mother-of-pearl, genus Strombus). Many of them are fragmented. The figure’s eye is chrysocolla. This zoomorphic figure is associated with the night sky. Mochica. Boom Period (1 AD – 800 AD). RIGHT: Huaca De La Luna (Temple of the Moon).
All Photos Courtesy of World Heritage Exhibitions.

Some of the highlights of Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru includes:

● An introductory theatre with a floor-to-ceiling screen displays a dramatic video showcasing Peru’s various civilizations and the lush Andean landscape with extraordinary aerial footage that sets the exhibition’s scene.
● This multi-sensory exhibition will use projections, audio, video, and artifacts that will allow guests to experience different societies that ruled Peru for over 3,000 years. These Peruvian civilizations include Chavin, Chimu, Lambayque, Moche, and Nazca.
● Guided by Ai Apaec, a mythical Andean hero, visitors will gain a window into transformation through the forces of nature that result in his death and subsequent rebirth. They will genuinely see that in this world, nothing is fixed, and beings can change from one form to another.
● Meet the ancestors as eleven Andean lords will be presented in the unparalleled finery in which they were buried— gold and silver crowns, pectorals, breastplates, bracelets, ear and nose ornaments, turquoise and other precious stones, pearls, and shells.
● Experience Machu Picchu! As one of the contemporary Seven Wonders of the World, it is nestled in a cloud forest where patrons can jump into the first-ever virtual reality experience of Machu Picchu. This experience will be unveiled, allowing guests a window into the unrivaled beauty and flourishing landscape.