Guided Tour «More Than Gold»

In the Western world, pre-Hispanic Colombia has been associated with the legend of "El Dorado" for centuries. Yet this view obscures the true cultural wealth of the indigenous peoples who live there. The groundbreaking exhibition "More Than Gold – Splendour and Thought of Indigenous Colombia" offers an entirely new perspective on the art and culture of this region. The exhibition is the first ever to explore the diverse spectrum of masterful artistic production in pre-Hispanic Colombia and spotlight these works from an indigenous perspective.

The exhibition was realised in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Museo del Oro in Bogotá, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston and members of the Arhuaco indigenous community of Colombia. The Museum Rietberg in Zurich is the only museum in Europe to present the exhibition, now expanded to around 400 pieces, many of which have never been shown before in Switzerland. In addition to gold objects, the exhibition features ceramic vessels, stone sculptures and feather jewellery from Colombian, North American, German and Swiss collections.

Not only does the exhibition stand out for the outstanding artistic value of the featured works, but also for its innovative curatorial approach which offers fascinating insights into this largely unknown cultural circle. While earlier exhibitions have been distinguished by a mostly Western-oriented academic perspective, “More Than Gold” incorporates essential indigenous knowledge. Over a period of almost seven years, the curators worked closely with the Arhuaco to collect information about the objects and integrate it into the exhibition concept. The curators have also added several important aspects to the presentation in Zurich.