Q'ONOY—The Night of Fire / A Photo Exhibition by Pilar Pedraz

House of the Arts, Veszprém, Dubniczay Palace, D1 29 Vár Street, Veszprém 8200 

This exhibition, which takes visitors into the heart of Paucartambo, showcases the most vibrant festival in the Peruvian Andes: the ritual festival of the Virgen del Carmen. Lima-born photographer Pilar Pedraza has been documenting this unique world for 11 years as the leader of participatory photography projects. With her camera and her own mask, she herself becomes of these fleeting events, capturing through his photographs the moments illuminated by light and fire. For three days, the peaceful life of this small town is enlivened by twenty masked dance troupes, whose movementsancient myths still shaped by the community. Behind masks made of plaster, cardboard, or fiberglass, the dancers engage in dialogue with the gods, reenacting mythical battles dating back to the time of the Incas. The exhibition was supported by the Embassy of Peru in Hungary.

This project has been designated by the French Ministry of Culture as part of the Bicentennial of Photography and is included in the official program of the Bicentennial from September 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027.