Chile singular. Apuntes de viaje

R A P A N U I - E A S T E R I S L A N D Very far away , off the coast of Chile, lies Rapa Nui, a small triangle of land framed by three volcanoes amidst the vastness of the Pacific Ocean. There is no place in the world so remote from any other inhabited site, and it has been this way since ancient times. Distant on the horizon, it awaits the day when its mystery will be unveiled. It has been discovered time and again by navigators, Europeans, and pirates. Assaulted and exploited, studied and admired, not only by anthropologists, historians, and scientists but also by voyeur travelers armed with pencil and paper. This is my case. I first landed in Mataveri at the end of the last century and I have returned several times to sketch the handful of drawings that make up this notebook. None took more than 30 minutes, and together they compose the memory of my journeys, by far the best souvenirs Rapa Nui has brought me. I followed the routes and notes of other travelers who, for 200 years, passed along these shores, gazing at the horizon, and climbing the volcanoes to peer inside. Without a camera, I paused to observe, draw, and thus comprehend. I recorded in my sketchbook what caught my attention, what moved me, and the fun and shared experiences I encountered around the table whilst I was there. Traveling to know and drawing to understand. With a pencil, one can explore and discover, synthesize and preserve, dream and create. Through the vitality and hidden richness of drawings, an entire world can be brought to life. HANGAROA , 1 9 9 9 - 20 1 2 . 64