Xapiri Ground
Friday, March 1
Another amazing café and project in Cusco is “Xapiri Ground”. We read about this café online in a travel blog about Cusco and were eager to visit.
Xapiri Ground is located in the San Blas district in a historic house in Cusco. Metal letters spelling out the café's name, “Xapiri Ground”, are attached to the white facade. A bright blue door leads from the street into a small hallway. If you walk straight through the colorfully painted archway, you'll find yourself in the building’s small courtyard, which is also the heart of the café. There you'll find the counter where you order, as well as a few tables and seating areas. However, Xapiri is more than just a café — it's a mix of café, gallery, and NGO. Leading off from the light-filled courtyard are other small rooms where various works of art, textiles, and other projects are exhibited. Xapiri works with indigenous peoples from various parts of Peru, showing their work, traditions, and knowledge to the public here in Cusco. The many small rooms on the ground floor and first floor feature exhibitions about the daily lives of the indigenous people they collaborate with. The exhibition includes photography, videos, art objects, and explanatory panels. Some of the artworks and smaller textiles, such as handwoven bags, are also for sale. Fair payment and appreciation of the indigenous people's handicrafts are a priority here. The objects sold here are therefore seen more as independent works of art rather than souvenirs.
After we arrived we first checked out all the exhibitions and greatly enjoyed being allowed to move around this beautiful, historic house in Cusco independently as a visitor. It was fun to explore the different rooms and exhibitions, climb the small, narrow wooden staircase up to the first floor, and look out from the gallery above into the courtyard. After taking a close look at everything, we returned to the ground floor, ordered two cups of (very high quality) hot cocoa, and made plans for the rest of our day.
