Children’s Game #43: Mosquito de Pachacute
Lima, Péru, 2025; 4:12 min
In collaboration with Rafael Ortega, Félix Blume and Ricardo Galvez
The game “Mosquito of Pachacútec” refers to the historical metaphor of how the Inca Empire was challenged in its territorial conquests by a tiny adversary: the mosquito. These seemingly insignificant insects hindered the expansion of the Inca Pachacútec empire in the mid-15th century, particularly in coastal areas, where malaria-carrying mosquitoes formed a natural barrier for the Inca armies.
The players form a circle. One player throws an imaginary mosquito into the air, shouting, “The Pachacútec mosquito is going this way!” The following players try to kill the mosquito by clapping their hands in the air. After a couple of rounds, another imaginary mosquito is released, then a third, until the chain breaks and the round collapses in a fit of laughter.
Francis Alÿs
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