06 Oct/2021 The Embassy of Colombia in Ireland presents a hybrid programme to showcase Colombia’s biodiversity. Colombia is the most biodiverse country per square metre, but this nature’s gift means a great responsibility, which has motivated the Embassy to programme of a series of online and offline events aiming to raise awareness about the importance of preservation. Additionally, the events propose the Arts as an effective ally to science in educating in the urgency of environmental protection. The Embassy of Colombia has partnered with Dublin City Council, UCD Earth Institute and Instituto Cervantes Dublin for this initiative.

The events will commence on 14th October, with the online screening of the documentary ‘Chiribiquete. An Expedition to the Centre of the Earth’, a journey of Colombian archaeologist and anthropologist Carlos Castaño, who returns to the place he discovered accidentally 30 years ago. On 15th October the live event ‘Talking Walls: Chiribiquete’ with Colombian journalist and scientist Angela Posada Swafford, in conversation with Olive Heffernan. These events are presented in the framework of the ISLA Festival in collaboration with Instituto Cervantes Dublin.

On 21st October will kick-off the cinema series Colombia Bio to showcase the diversity of the Colombian landscape. The films selected will follow the research expeditions to La Morena Jungle in Anorí; the Sea Flower Reserve in the Caribbean; the savannahs and gallery forests of the Tomo River in the Amazon and Orinoquia regions; and the Chiscas Plane in the Chinchas Mountain Range. The series is presented in collaboration with the UCD Earth Institute, and its opening event will include the screening of ‘La casa de la vida’ (The House of Life) and an online Q&A with Colombian biologist and member of the expedition Diego Calderón.

In November, to coincide with UN Climate Change Conference COP26, the Embassy will premiere in Ireland Convergence: exploring Colombia’s Biodiversity through Art with the visuals of UNIBIRDS and the music of Cucusonic. UNIBIRDS by MA+CH Artists will screen on Barnardo Square from 2nd to 5th November to communicate the message of preserving the environment in times of climate change. Cucusonic is a collective of Colombian biological scientists, anthropologists and musicians who invited a team of electronic music producers (Brian Eno or Matt Black from Coldcut, among them) to create an album using rainforest sounds, to raise awareness of bioacoustics as a measure of biodiversity. Convergence: exploring Colombia’s Biodiversity through Art will be launched on 2nd November at 6.30pm in City Hall by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Ms. Alison Gilliland, and Colombian Ambassador to Ireland, Ms. Patricia Cortés Ortiz.