P'unchawpa Nan Purinan – The Way of the Sun and Andean Archaeology

Opening Ceremony, Lecture and Guided Tour on 19 October 2026, from 4:30 pm to 7 pm.

The lecture will be in Spanish, with simultaneous translation to English.

About the Exhibition

Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with the Embassy of Peru, presents an academic and cultural exhibition exploring the rich heritage of ancient Andean civilisations and its contemporary reinterpretation through Arqueomoda.

“P’unchawpa Ñan Purinan – The Path of the Sun and Andean Archeofashion” brings archaeological research, ancestral knowledge and contemporary creation into dialogue, exploring themes of cultural identity, heritage preservation, sustainability, innovation and the continuity of ancestral knowledge in contemporary life.

The exhibition presents the Andes as a source of sophisticated textile knowledge, cultural expression and design systems whose legacy continues to inspire contemporary creation. The exhibition will feature a curated presentation of 32 contemporary Arqueomoda looks, developed through research and inspired by pre-Inka and Inka clothing systems. 

The collection presents a chronological journey through more than 6,000 years of Andean cultural and textile history, from the civilisation of Caral to the Tawantinsuyu. Through contemporary reinterpretation, the exhibition explores structures, techniques, symbolic systems, natural dyes and cultural meanings associated with Andean textiles and clothing.

Rather than historical reconstruction, Arqueomoda proposes a contemporary dialogue with ancestral heritage, bringing ancient Andean knowledge into the present through clothing, design and lifestyle. Visitors will encounter the continuity between archaeological heritage and contemporary creation, discovering how ancestral systems can contribute to new perspectives on cultural identity, sustainability and innovation.

Arqueomoda  

Today, the Arqueomoda project is developed from Casa Arqueomoda, its institutional and cultural home in Lima, Peru. Located in the district of San Miguel, within the historic cultural territory associated with Maranga, Casa Arqueomoda serves as a space for research, creation, education and the international cultural projection of Andean knowledge. Casa Arqueomoda brings together the different dimensions through which the Arqueomoda methodology is researched, sustained, applied and shared with the world. Its principal areas are:

• KUNPI – Arqueomoda Andina  

• Moda Andina

Led by Peruvian arqueomodista, researcher and cultural creator Adrián ILave Inka, Arqueomoda is an interdisciplinary methodology and cultural project connecting archaeology, anthropology, ethnography, ancestral knowledge, philosophy and contemporary creation.

The origin of the term

ARQUEO / ARCHEO:The prefix archeo- comes from the Greek arkhaios, meaning ancient. Within Arqueomoda, it refers to the study and understanding of ancient and ancestral cultural systems through sources such as archaeology, history, anthropology and ethnography.

MODA / FASHION: Within Arqueomoda, fashion is understood beyond clothing or temporary trends. It is conceived as a system of lifestyle, encompassing ways of dressing, inhabiting spaces, creating, relating and expressing cultural identity.

ARQUEOMODA / ARCHEOFASHION; Arqueomoda brings together the ancient and fashion understood as a system of lifestyle. Its purpose is to study, interpret and project ancestral cultural systems into contemporary life, creating a dialogue between the cultural legacy of ancient civilisations and the challenges and possibilities of the present. Developed in Brazil in 2019 and institutionalised in Peru in 2026, Arqueomoda is founded on two principal dimensions:

SCIENCE: Arqueomoda is grounded in interdisciplinary scientific research. Through archaeology, history, anthropology and ethnography, it investigates ancient cultural systems, material practices, forms of dress and ways of life. Scientific research provides the methodological basis for the study and interpretation of ancestral cultural heritage.

PHILOSOPHICAL AND SPIRITUAL FOUNDATION: Arqueomoda recognises that the scientific study of a cultural past alone is not always sufficient to reactivate its deeper systems of meaning in contemporary life. For this reason, the method can be supported by an original philosophical and spiritual framework rooted in the cultural context in which it is applied. Arqueomoda does not impose a single philosophy or spirituality. Its application may differ according to each civilisation, culture or territory, drawing upon its own historical and cultural frameworks.

This allows Arqueomoda to function as an adaptable methodology that can potentially be applied in different parts of the world, where communities and cultures seek to study, reinterpret and project their ancestral heritage into contemporary life.

Andean arqueomoda and wak’anismo

In the Andean context, Arqueomoda is developed as Andean Arqueomoda, integrating Wak’anismo as its philosophical and spiritual foundation. Wak’anismo provides a framework inspired by original Andean thought and the relationship between human beings, the Wak’a, territory, matter and cultural continuity.

Within Andean Arqueomoda, scientific research and Wak’anismo operate as complementary dimensions: one investigates and interprets the material and historical evidence, while the other provides a philosophical and spiritual framework through which Andean cultural systems can be meaningfully engaged with in the present.

Wak’anismo is understood as a contemporary philosophical and spiritual framework inspired by ancient Andean thought. Within this context, it is not presented as an institutional religion.

Sustainability

Sustainability is one of the fundamental principles of Arqueomoda. Through the study of ancestral knowledge and cultural practices, the methodology promotes reflection on conscious relationships with materials, clothing, production, territory and contemporary life.

KUNPI – Arqueomoda Andina: Applied Andean Lifestyle  

KUNPI – Arqueomoda Andina is the branch through which the principles of Arqueomoda are applied to contemporary lifestyle. It is not limited to clothing. KUNPI brings Arqueomoda into contemporary life through:

• Clothing and personal style

• Design

• Spaces and decoration

• Cultural experiences

• Contemporary applications of Andean aesthetics and philosophy

The name Kunpi refers to the fine textiles associated with the Inka world. Through KUNPI, archaeological, anthropological and ethnographic knowledge, together with Andean philosophical principles, is interpreted and applied to contemporary life. KUNPI materialises the Arqueomoda methodology as an applied lifestyle. The 32 looks presented in this exhibition are part of this process of contemporary cultural application.

Moda Andina: Education and Methodological Support

Moda Andina is the educational and cultural platform of Casa Arqueomoda. Its purpose is to inform audiences around the world about the history and development of Andean fashion, while simultaneously providing an educational and intellectual platform that supports the Arqueomoda methodology.

Moda Andina contributes to the development and sustainability of the method through:

• Education on the history of Andean fashion

• Historical and archaeological research

• Courses and specialised learning experiences

• Educational content and cultural dissemination

• Academic dialogue and debate

• Methodological development and support

Moda Andina informs, educates and provides intellectual support for the development of Arqueomoda. Through education and research, it helps build the knowledge base necessary for the responsible contemporary interpretation of Andean cultural heritage.

Programme

Opening Day – Academic & Exhibition Launch

• Keynote lecture on Andean textile heritage and contemporary design

• The concept of Wak’a within Andean philosophical thought
• The relationship between matter, territories, the human body and clothing
• Ancient Andean clothing as a cultural and civilizational system
• The origins and historical development of Andean fashion
• Archaeological and historical approaches to pre-Inka and Inka clothing
• The contemporary projection of ancestral knowledge through Arqueomoda

• Curated textile showcase

• Interdisciplinary conversation

• Networking reception

Following Days – Temporary Exhibition

The textile installation will remain on display at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, offering students, faculty, staff, and visitors the opportunity to explore Andean textile heritage and its contemporary reinterpretation.

Artist: Adrián ILave Inka