Proyecto BIO es un taller artístico itinerante de Educación Ambiental que apuesta a promover en la sociedad la búsqueda de un mundo con mejor calidad de vida.

Obras de arte con temáticas ambientales y el dialogo con el artista se combinan en un ejercicio interactivo y didáctico, con el objetivo de promover en niños, jóvenes y adultos una cultura de conciencia y convivencia con la Naturaleza.



English

Proyecto Bio is an itinerant art workshop that aims to promote the search of a world with a better quality of life in our society. Thematic art pieces, fables and children’s stories are combined with interactive and didactic exercises. The intention is to promote a culture based in the good use of natural resources and to create awareness about the environment in children and teenagers.


HOW TO

Art pieces and children’s narrative are combined to help participants acknowledge their own behaviors and those of the people around them. During our debates, children and teenagers are exposed to new environmental contents. Finally, the emotions and the values incorporated are expressed in an integrating practical work.



FOR WHOM

The direct recipients of these teachings are the students and teachers of primary and secondary schools. The indirect recipients are their families.

WHY

The preservation of the environment is of fundamental importance for the survival of all living things in our planet. As shapers, us adults must now promote a conscience of solidarity regarding the protection of our natural resources.


CONTACT

Proyecto Bio is an initiative created by plastic artist Gonzalo Álvarez.

Fresh and original artist that uses his art pieces for ecologist education through his own initiative, Proyecto Bio. Born in the city of Morón, he was raised in the neighborhood of La Reja surrounded by nature, “the mother of all things…”. This has given him the foundation which helped him develop his artistic skills through his studies and by travelling to different places. He’s decided to say NO to the commercialization of his art in order to approach this particular project with an enormous sense of generosity.


Gonzalo Álvarez at his atelier (Photo: ADN magazine)

In order to bring this artistic proposal to your city, send us an e-mail to muestras@proyectobio.com.ar.
For more information: consultas@proyectobio.com.ar.

SPONSORED BY

UNICEF - Secretary of Culture (Government of Argentina) - Secretary of Environment and Sustainable Development of Argentina - Secretary of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires - Vida Silvestre Foundation Argentina - Félix de Azara Natural History Foundation (FHN) - Biodiversity Foundation Argentina - Universal Ecological Foundation (FEU) - Argentinian-Japanese Cultural Foundation - Embassy of Guatemala - Embassy of Chile - Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela - Embassy of Albania - Cultura Frontal Foundation


"The Origin of Water"


Public works and services company Gral Sarmiento S.A., located in the city of La Plata, hired plastic artist Gonzalo Álvarez to create an art piece that would represent the spirit of respect the construction company promotes towards the environment. Gonzalo accepted the challenge and decided to build his piece around a resource that’s becoming more and more valuable: water.

“The subject of water is a source of multiple inspirations. The shortage of this vital resource obligates us to repeat a call regarding the moderation of its use by the world population. Without everybody’s help, the technical efforts carried by just a few organizations will not be enough”, explained Gonzalo.

“The Origin of Water” was the title chosen by the company’s employees to name this art piece that will be part of their lives from now on. The artist’s intention with his work was to illustrate the company’s goals, to raise awareness and to bring trust to each and every one of its employees while doing their job.

The piece was composed with a very vibrant color palette which represents the condition of water in the midst of nature, before being treated for human consumption.


Below, a transcription of the words the president of Gral Saneamiento S.A., Dr. Marcelo Salinas, dedicated to Gonzalo as an acknowledgement to his work:

"It was an intense and eye-opening experience for us to discover the work of Gonzalo Álvarez in his 2010 Proyecto Bio exhibition.

The goal of the exhibition was to create awareness about the importance of respecting and taking care of the environment through an artistic creation, its interpretation and analysis. Among all his art pieces, one of them in particular caught our attention: water was being presented by the artist as a central subject of his exhibition as a scarce resource and source of life.

Gral Saneamiento S.A. is a company with over 20 years experience in water potabilization for domiciliary and commercial use in big and small urban areas. Our day-to-day relationship with an element that’s becoming more and more vital makes us share the constant concern in taking care of it.

We felt Gonzalo Alvarez’s work thoroughly expressed our concern and we saw in it an excellent way to promote our shared goal. That is why we didn’t hesitate to ask him to create a special piece about «Water». We wanted Gonzalo to join us in our crusade since we wanted to share his work with our colleagues in time for the opening of our new offices in the city of La Plata.

Today, The Origin of Water is being exposed in the reception of our new building to be admired by our staff, clients and suppliers. The impact of the piece has surpassed all expectations to the point of us asking authorization to the artist to use details of his work in the design of our new stationary and brand identity. This way, the message and our work blend together".


School N° 61


Proyecto Bio traveled to the city of Merlo, Buenos Aires, to visit the School N° 61. Gonzalo Álvarez was invited by Isabel Alejandra Chiron and Claudia Beltramino (director and vice-director, respectively), as part of the district project “Cuentos y verdades” (Spanish for “Tales and Truths”).

Below, a transcription of some of the messages we received via e-mail from the students and teachers of School Nº 61:

"Thank you for teaching us through art and showing us that anything is possible if we try".
(María Emilia Castro, 5º A)

"Thank you for coming all the way here to teach us how to take care of water. Anything is possible if you think hard and do your best".
(Camila Anhí Cejas, 5º A)

"We really liked to share this day with Gonzalo, because apart from having a good time, we learned to value the resources that nature gives us and also to face our fears and believe that anything is possible if we try. Thank you!"
(Students of 5º A and teacher Mónica Silva)

"Hi Gonzalo: we’re the students of 2º A, morning shift. We had a great time and we learned a lot. Your paintings are very beautiful and colorful. We really liked to discover animals in them. The story was very nice and the magazines you gave us are awesome!!! We became more aware of the importance of taking care of the environment. We wanted to thank you for everything. See you soon!!!!"
(Students de 2º A and teacher Mónica Fernández)




A singular artist with a unique proposal

Beatriz Cappagli is a teacher, writer, director and editor of cultural and ecologist magazine Nuestro Lugar ("Our Place") and a friend of Proyecto Bio. Next, a transcription of her motivational message about our initiative:

"The impression that I got when I discovered Gonzalo’s paintings in the Botanical Garden of Buenos Aires had a very strong impact on me. As a lover of nature and its colors and as an art enthusiast, I was so mesmerized by his work that I immediately contacted him. But I was in for a bigger surprise. These great art pieces were destined to be triggers of a unique educational project like I’ve never seen before. In his presentation at the Jardín Japonés, we had the chance to see him in action. With very particular skill and sensibility, Gonzalo induces and motivates his audience to discover the elements that are present in the images and he relates them with the knowledge and attitude society has (and the one it should have) about nature and our place in it. Both children and adults “get hooked” and participate in this experience, both original and enriching. In the end, they will end up expressing themselves by themselves.

I wish more people will participate in these “education through art” workshops dictated by a generous and restless young man who loves life above all things and who relates himself with his peers through this love. In Nuestro Lugar magazine we’re always willing to promote these activities and to encourage schools and similar institutions to participate in this project, which they will most likely never forget about".

Beatriz Cappagli and Gonzalo Álvarez