Story: A spectacular migration from Central Africa to the Arctic Circle is underway.
::Walking production
In what organizers call the largest public art installation ever, an increasing number of animals-accurate animal puppet carnival is making a journey of 12,000 miles or 20,000 kilometers.
The ambitious five-month Odyssey aims to raise awareness about climate emergencies.
::This Earth
“For years, the climate debate has been led by science.”
Amir Nizar Zuabi is the artistic director of “The Herds”:
::Cape Town, South Africa
“One of the questions about climate and science is that scientists are very smart people and then you also hope they can find solutions to all the problems. Part of what we are trying to do is, 'No, it's about nature, it's about us, it's about us.”
::Walking production
The project began in the Congo Basin – the site of the world's second largest rainforest.
Recycled materials have been used to make these creatures – from gorillas to towering giraffes.
“For me, there are things that are very tempting or tempting because they need to be made of very simple materials. They almost need to look like the earth.”
Puppet designer Sipho ngxola explained that the puppets were also carefully trained.
“So you actually study animals. Then, you really study animals carefully. You watch carefully the part of the body that moves when it breathes, which body part moves first when it's about to walk. You see three things, you look at the animal. It's breathing, it's how the animal moves, it's actually what the animal does.”
The parade travels through countries such as Nigeria, Senegal and Morocco before traveling through Europe through Spain.
In each city, residents will be trained in puppet making and performing and will add their own animals.
::Walking production
The purpose of the migration is to end in the Arctic Circle in August – from a few species to a wide variety of wildlife that are increasingly threatened by the warm world.
