Where does the Carnival come from?
Not everyone knows, but the Carnival is much older than Dodo and Osmars trios elétricos (musical floats used in Brazilian Carnival) in Salvador, Bahia. This popular festival has its origins in celebrations such Saturnalia, when Ancient Rome used to stop everything to celebrate god Saturn. According to mythology, he was the one who taught the practice of agriculture to men, and in these days of celebration that took place in December, friends would treat one another to flowers and typical food of the season.
Using this story as a background, people visiting Inhotim during Carnival will be treated to seeds of licuri palm (Syagrus) and butiá (Butia) as a way to thank the public and nature for making the park an unique and transforming place. These species were not chosen by chance. Besides being part of the gardens, they are portrayed in several works by artist Luiz Zerbini, on display at the amor lugar comum (love, a commonplace) exhibit, installed at Galeria Praça since October 2013.
As for the work Olê ô picolê (2007) (Here comes the popsicle) , by Marepe (learn more about him here), displayed at Galeria Lago, educators will make interventions focused on popsicle carts that will circulate throughout the park. Visitors will receive clippings about the artist or texts written by him, as an invitation to learn about his work.
In addition, children will be invited to prepare Carnival masks with materials that would otherwise be discarded. The actions take place in the park, Saturday (1/3), Tuesday (4/3), from 10h to 12h and 14h to 16h. To learn more click here.