Celebrating 100 years is always a special and unique occasion. When Baldomero arrived in Ayacucho in 1924, he did not imagine that his photographs would be recognized a century later. A well-deserved tribute that is framed within a great historical date: the Bicentennial of the Battle of Ayacucho that sealed American independence.
Baldomero Alejos was a Peruvian photographer who, for more than 50 years (1924-1976), perpetuated the experiences of Ayacucho society. His legacy of more than 60,000 images has great artistic value, which is why it has been exhibited and published in several countries around the world. His work is also a visual, historical and social testimony of Ayacucho, a special town rich in creativity and tradition, but at the same time with profound economic and social differences, which was the origin of the armed violence that shook Peru in 1980. Baldomero witnessed a calm town but slowly moving towards the storm.
His photographs transmit life, movement, change, hope; they keep feelings and everlasting memories of people, families, friends. They lead us to see art, music, religious fervor, youth; the innocence of the children, the dignity of our peasant brothers and the pride of the people of Ayacucho.
In that spirit, the Baldomero Alejos Cultural Association invites you on a brief journey from the past to the present, using images as obvious metaphors. The lights, shadows, and contrasts in photography, as well as in history, led us to verify that beyond black and white, there are gray scales. This exhibition will take us to know the yesterday that Baldomero portrayed and that will not return, but that reaffirms our love for Ayacucho, its identity and challenges us to promote its progress. This exhibition has had the support of people, companies and institutions, to whom we are deeply grateful.