Camouflage and Mimicry in Nature
C.P. Lamuza LHI, Laudio/Llodio
C.P. Lamuza LHI, Laudio/Llodio
22 students, 5th grade
Teachers: Ainara Gómez and Kontxi Vallinas
Artist: Ibon Saénz de Olazagoitia
This project focused on animal life and the relationship between humans and nature. It was aimed at encouraging creativity and imagination, and promoting respect for the natural environment. It was an environmentally-conscious art project.
Some of the activities took place at Lamuza Park in Llodio, a park with a history, established by the Marquis of Urquijo in the 19th century. It is a popular natural and recreational space with the local community. The children were asked to think of and draw fantastic creatures, then modelling them using clay, paper, and glue. Afterwards, they took their creatures to the park, transforming them into a fantasy forest.
Based on the biological strategies used by animals, such as camouflage and mimicry, the children designed costumes using elements from nature, fabrics, and even waste they found in the park. With the costumes on, they managed to blend into the environment, matching the surrounding colors, textures, and shapes.
Camouflage—a defense mechanism where an organism blends in with its surroundings—and mimicry— an adaptation where an organism resembles another—were used as symbolic tools to think about adaptation, respect for nature, and creativity as a means to raise awareness.
The project also included videos and pictures where the children sent their visual message: a deeper connection with nature through art, taking the strategies used by living beings in harmony with the environment.