Rodrigo Quijano: There are several factors there. The economic crisis, which is no surprise, but also the institutional absence, the ongoing absence of the State. The crisis has forced people to work something out on their own and one way of doing so is a pretty sustained exodus of artists. It's pretty obvious that there are two kinds of Peruvian artists, those who live here and those who live abroad. The difference in linkage to the market is very extreme. It is now possible, though globalization and technology, for all these exchanges between the people who leave and those who stay to be faster than ever. That has sparked interest between the locals and those abroad in working on local themes, to such an extent that I think MALI, as an institution, is interested in shaking the wasp's nest of Peruvian contemporary art, to give it an international dimension. That would have been unthinkable four or five years ago. It's a new development that we're all grappling with. The fact that half a dozen important artists are featured in important collections in Europe and the US is becoming a decisive factor in decision-making within Peru.

MFC: With this new attention or international view of the Peruvian scene, where do you see risks or limitations?

Raimond Chaves: Well, I think there are risks, but Miguel is in a better position to discuss these. Since the artists' training is so precarious, there's a risk that things will become more driven by the market or by success...

Miguel López: The fact that artists have left is obviously the result of conditions here. In many ways there was no way they could make a living from art in Peru; the absence of a market and the absence of a critical apparatus made it impossible for a long time for an artistic life to take shape here, it was a fantasy. Even today the prospects of the so-called boom in Peruvian contemporary art are very limited. This is not very long-lasting and will die immediately if the way the scene operates doesn't change. What people don't understand is that if a genuine critical framework isn't fostered, if the capacity to dissent is not promoted among the younger generations and in fact among art students, we'll continue building castles in the air. In many ways I don't think this market boom is particularly interested in critical views, unless it's to generate symbolic yields that can then be exchanged for economic gain. There was one kind of gallery before, now there are others, but basically they still work the same way. They're still galleries that are run by amateurs who have money but zero discourse, and it's obvious that art is a business, but it's not just that alone. It is one of the interests of La Culpable to encourage a critical approach to this.

MFC: What projects do you have under way?

Miguel López: Juanacha magazine, which will be out in a week's time. It's a way of including discourses and generating a visible space for discussion. We wanted the magazine to be a catalyst for what was happening this year.

Philippe Gruenberg: The backbone of the magazine was going to be the transcription of the portfolio presentations, and from there to form a kind of container of issues; there are a lot of people here who write.

Gilda Mantilla: As Miguel was saying, it's also about putting down on paper the interests and ideas that have been circulating this year. One strong point was the State censorship of Piero Quijano's exhibition. We did a show when the artworks were removed. In the magazine we also wanted to talk about travel. We were invited collectively to the Medellí­n show.

MFC: How do you finance yourselves?

Rodrigo Quijano: It's a cooperative, self-managed operation, which leads to a lot of freedom and debts. But basically it's our space for creative self-expression. We don't have ties, not even institutional ones, as is the case with other spaces. So it's a blessing but it's also a trap. Since none of us can devote 100% of their time to La Culpable, it also has its limitations.

Philippe Gruenberg: We pay a monthly fee for light and water. We sell beer at each event, which brings in a little money, and we've started following a model that's in fashion in Lima, the auction model. We do little auctions and that's made us enough money so we can publish the magazine next year.

Link: Espacio La Culpable