A large-scale cemi sculpture can be seen at the entrance of the Indigenous Eyes Ecological Reserve.
Presented by the Fundación Grupo Puntacana and Puntacana Resort & Club, it was built with the purpose of promoting the history and identity of the Taíno archaeological pieces that proliferate in the area. and thus motivate visitors from all over the world to document their experience in front of the work of art.
The design was created using the photographic information of the pieces found in the area, emulating the lines and features used by the Taínos in the fragments of Cemi handicrafts. With this new piece of art integrated with nature, the tourist complex “enhances its attractiveness to visitors and promotes an example of good environmental practices,” said Manuel Sajour, Grupo Puntacana’s executive director of Marketing. The project had the collaboration of L2 Studio and Aarkinaa Estudio de Arquitectura.
Inspiration in Cemi art
In the Indigenous Eyes Ecological Reserve there were Taino settlements around the so-called “eyes”, fresh water springs of underground origin, where fragments have been found that have served as inspiration for the design and construction of the entrance arch to the reserve. Taíno works of art were embodied in handicrafts made with various materials such as stone, clay, wood, bone, shell and even cotton, with which they formed figures that represented their gods and deities.
About the Reserve
Covering 1,500 acres, it is categorized as a transitional subtropical forest because it is mixed with vegetation and fauna from wet and dry areas. Within the reserve, more than 500 species of plants have been registered, 36% of them endemic to the Dominican Republic.
The nearby discovery of religious pieces indicates that they were lands inhabited by the natives.
Inside the reserve there are about 12 springs (lagoons) formed by the flowering of the Yauya underground river, due to the geological characteristics of the place. The word “eyes”, to name the lagoons, was used by the indigenous people.
Source-listindiario.com