“La creación del mundo según el mito Mapuche”

Mario Toral

Mario Toral is a Chilean artist with an international career. His work explores a multitude of techniques and languages, from printmaking to short films, easel painting, and mural painting. In addition to a constant concern for contemporary artistic techniques and theories, Toral’s work focuses on the representation of both national identity through collective memory and the individuality and existential issues of the contemporary human being. Discover Mario Toral’s work at Museo Ralli Marbella.

His ability to merge the traditional with the contemporary has been key in the creation of a visual language that seeks to connect the viewer with the depth of human experiences, both individual and collective. Toral is distinguished by his skill in bringing historical, mythological, and cultural narratives to life, especially those related to the deepest roots of Chilean identity, inviting reflection on the role of indigenous peoples, memory, and history in the present.

In his works, one can not only appreciate formal and technical research but also a profound reflection on the human condition, the conflicts, and tensions between modernity and traditions. Toral has become a reference not only within Chile but globally, due to his ability to convey universal messages through an accessible and highly symbolic visual language. Throughout his career, he has addressed themes such as historical memory, colonization, cultural identity, and the struggle of indigenous peoples, becoming an artist committed to his time and the preservation of ancestral traditions.

Recovering historical memory: “The Creation of the World According to the Mapuche Myth”

The work “The Creation of the World According to the Mapuche Myth,” which is part of our permanent collection, is a preparatory oil painting created by the artist Mario Toral for his large mural work “Visual Memory of a Nation.” This canvas not only reflects Toral’s creative process but also introduces us to the deep cultural meaning of the Mapuche Myth, one of the fundamental narratives of the indigenous worldview in Chile. In this piece, Toral captures the symbolic richness of the myth, which narrates the origin of the world and the intrinsic connection between human beings, nature, and the cosmos, according to Mapuche tradition. Through his painting, Toral seeks to convey the complex spiritual principles of the Mapuche people, who believe that humans are part of a greater whole that includes nature, gods, and the cosmos— a concept that contrasts with the individualistic view of the world.

Both in “The Creation of the World According to the Mapuche Myth” and in the entire mural work, Toral seeks to recover collective memory so that all peoples can identify with it. He represents historical events, geography, indigenous mythology, and figures such as indigenous heroes, presidents, and poets. The journey spans from the origins, through the pre-Hispanic past, the conquest, the formation of a Republican State, to the present and modernity. This representation is not just a look at the past but an invitation to reflect on how these traditions and narratives are still alive today, influencing struggles for identity and social justice for indigenous peoples. Through this work, Toral not only recovers the past but offers a critical view of the present, where the dialogue between modernity and traditions remains essential to understanding the cultural richness of Chile.

In this sense, the Mapuche Myth becomes a powerful tool to reclaim ancestral memory, integrating the struggles and traditions of indigenous peoples into a broader narrative of national history. Toral, by presenting these myths, not only keeps the memory of indigenous peoples alive but also invites viewers to revisit their own historical and cultural processes. His work becomes a vehicle for reflection on the importance of recognizing and valuing the contributions of indigenous peoples to contemporary Chile, celebrating the diversity and contributions of these cultures in building a more inclusive nation that respects its heritage.

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  La creación del mundo según el mito Mapuche, 1993

  The creation of the world according to the Mapuche mythology
  Mario Toral Muñoz
  Oil and acrylic on canvas
  230 x 150 cm
  Preparatory work for the Mural Project Memoria Visual de una Nación [“A Visual Memory of a Nation”], inaugurated in 1996.
   

  Ralli Collection © Mario Toral Muñoz, VEGAP, Málaga 2025

The project “Memoria Visual de una Nación”

The mural project “Visual Memory of a Nation” is part of the MetroArte initiative, which aims to bring art closer to citizens by placing mural works in high-traffic places such as subway stations. Other artists who have participated in creating murals within this project include Roberto Matta, Rodolfo Opazo, Osvaldo Peña, Hernan Miranda, Elisa Aguirre, and many others, with a total of 54 murals created by individual artists or collectives.

Mario Toral’s mural is located at the Universidad de Chile subway station, a central hub in the city. It spans 1,200 m2 and consists of six panels in total, which the artist distinguishes between Past and Present. Each of these sections includes three panels with different scenes related to the history and imagery of the time.

“The Creation of the World According to the Mapuche Myth” is part of the “Ancient Inhabitants” panel. Alongside it, “The Encounter” and “The Conquest” complete the first section of the mural titled “The Past.” Each panel is further divided into multiple scenes, including the one depicted in “The Creation of the World According to the Mapuche Myth.”

According to the Mapuche mythology and Toral’s words:

“The world was created and destroyed by two snakes: MaiMai and TenTen. The head of God Pillan, God of Volcanoes and of Fire, observes. He is a benevolent God that protects humanity (…) A stone figure represents the Mapuche warrior, war being the noblest activity of the race. He has a representation of a bludgeon, a bone or stone object, symbol of the investiture of the Toqui or the chief. There are scenes of daily life, bodies in a river, cacti, shells”. 

Mario Toral, 2002.
Memoria Visual de una Nación [A Visual Memory of a Nation]