NewsBeautiful Bamboo at Under the Bamboo Tree 2019 in Italy
For the first time, INBAR was present at the fourth iteration of conference Under the Bamboo Tree in Italy, a creative cultural event infused with passion for bamboo and its many uses.
Under the Bamboo Tree is a yearly two-day event including talks, workshops and practical demonstrations. This year’s event, co-organised by INBAR alongside the Italian Bamboo Association, ‘The Masters of Landscape’ Landscape Festival and design company ISIA Firenze, represented an important step for INBAR following the successful Ibero-Bamboo Symposium in Madrid just a few days beforehand.
Under the scientific curatorship of Mauricio Cardenas Laverde, the architect of the INBAR Pavilion at Beijing Expo 2019, the event put the spotlight on the many uses of bamboo, with an emphasis on lightness, creativity and innovation. A highlight was the final of the international Bamboo Rush design competition, which saw designers, artists, architects and students design beautiful objects out of bamboo and compete for prizes in one of two categories, Junior (meant for students that have not yet launched their career) and Senior (meant for professionals in their respective fields). See here for more about the winners [link in #Italian].
Bamboo artworks in the Labirinto della Masone near Parma, Italy. Photo Credit: Scientific Curator Mauricio Cardenas Laverde
The competition entrants weren’t the only bamboo art to be displayed during Under the Bamboo Tree. Several installations created as part of the Global Nomadic Art Project (GNAP) onsite using bamboo and other natural materials were also displayed along with a range of other bamboo and related product, designs and information – and their makers were often there to tell their story during the speakers’ slots over the two day event.
INBAR Director General Ali Mchumo and Global Policy Officer Borja de la Pena Escardo both spoke at the event. Ali Mchumo gave an introduction to INBAR’s work including its relevance to the UN Sustainable Development Agenda, and Borja de la Pena Escardo shared a presentation on the power of nature-based solutions to meet global challenges.
INBAR Global Policy Officer Borja de la Penda Escardo speaks at Under the Bamboo Tree 2019
But the biggest draw for bamboo fans may have been the event site itself. Opened in 2019, the Labirinto della Masone is the world’s largest bamboo maze, covering eight hectares. Francio di Ricci and his team took a decade to import, grown and plant the bamboo for this lush green maze. In addition, the Labirinto della Masone itself is a cultural centre that hosts art, events and exhibitions.
Under the Bamboo Tree 2019 at Labirinto della Masone Photo Credit: G.Fantuzzi-FotoGlamour
INBAR Director General Ali Mchumo introduces INBAR at Under the Bamboo Tree 2019
Part of the fascination with Labrinto della Masone is inevitably linked to the restaurant on site, which has been awarded a Michelin Star and is aptly named Al Bambu. On 5 October conference participants were treated to a bamboo themed dinner proving that bamboo is food for more than just pandas: dishes were selected to complement the natural taste and texture of bamboo shoots. The following day the chefs Massimo Spigaroli and Rocco Stabellini gave visitors a ‘slow cooking show’, never letting bamboo stray far from their minds.
To read more about Under the Bamboo Tree, please click here.
To find out more about the Ibero-Bamboo Symposium, please click here, here or here.
Photo Credit for the cover photo on this article: G.Fantuzzi-FotoGlamour
Under the Bamboo Tree 2019 at Labirinto della Masone Photo Credit: G.Fantuzzi-FotoGlamour
