Invisible Custodians

"Invisible Custodians" is a photographic documentation project that highlights the centuries-old customs of 15 indigenous communities from Chiquitos, Moxos, and Guarayos along the Amazon and Plata basins in Bolivia.

In the late 17th century, Jesuit missions were established in these communities. They immersed themselves in the native language, shielded the communities from Portuguese slave traders, built churches, and initiated workshops for music, sculpture, painting, and other crafts, drawing inspiration from the local fauna and flora. Skilled "luthiers" crafted violins, flutes, and harps, recognizing music as the primary form of communication.

This project is dedicated to the invisible custodians, the guardians of a natural and cultural heritage, who have safeguarded and continue to preserve their history, legends, and living culture. They achieve this by maintaining their ancestral identity and skillfully blending it with Baroque musical legacies and teachings through music, luthiers, and crafts schools in these communities.