Mario Testino, Named President of World Monuments Fund Peru

Mario Testino, one of the world’s most well-known and influential photographers and a native of Lima, Peru, has been named President of the Board of World Monuments Fund Peru, the organization’s first office in South America, by Bonnie Burnham, President of World Monuments Fund (WMF).

Mr. Testino, whose work has been exhibited in museums and galleries around the world, has long been recognized as a major force in arts and culture.

In remarks given at the announcement, held on April 11 at MATE – Museo Mario Testino, the cultural institution in Lima dedicated to the exhibition of Mr. Testino’s and other artists’ work, WMF President Bonnie Burnham stated.

“As a native of Lima, Mario Testino is the ideal person to lead the new WMF Peru. Formally creating an affiliate in Lima demonstrates the World Monuments Fund’s commitment to the heritage of Peru as well as the whole of South America.”

“My interest in Peru’s heritage began as a university student in Lima,” explained Mr. Testino. “Throughout my countless journeys all over the world, I have always admired the conservation of historic monuments and dreamed of being able to help recover Peru’s precious national treasures. Leading World Monuments Fund’s Peru affiliate allows me to accomplish this dream.”

WMF has worked in Peru since 1996 in partnership with local organizations on nearly 20 conservation projects that span centuries of heritage and incorporate training and advocacy.

WMF’s presence in Peru began in 2010 with the creation of the WMF Peru Committee, led by Marcela Temple de Pérez de Cuéllar, wife of former UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, until her death in 2013.