Nelson Rockefeller and Andean art: On the reopening of the Michael C. Rockefeller wing at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art

• Autor: Rodríguez, Carol
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2026
• Institución: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
• Repositorio: Revistas - Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
• Lenguaje: español
• OAI Identifier: oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/33306
• Enlace del recurso: http://revistas.pucp.edu.pe/index.php/historica/article/view/33306
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: Nelson Rockefeller; Andean art; Museum of Primitive Art; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Peruvian art; Arte andino; Museo de Arte Primitivo; Museo Metropolitano de Arte de Nueva York; Arte peruano

On May 31, 2025, the galleries dedicated to the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the ancient Americas reopened at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Following a complete museological and museographic renovation, the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing once again presents these visual expressions as legitimate alternatives to the classic canon of fine arts, consolidating their place in art history. The fact that these arts have gained importance in this century is partly due to one of their greatest American collectors: Nelson Rockefeller. This note examines the connection between Rockefeller and Andean art, from his first trip to Peru in 1937 to the founding of the Museum of Primitive Art in 1954, and the opening of the Rockefeller Wing in 1982. Drawing on my experience as part of the team responsible for the reopening of the galleries in 2025, the text also reflects my thoughts on the presentation of the Andean art collection and the new meanings it acquires today.