Open Call: Art for an Evolution Trail in Patagonia

The Jardin Botanico de la Patagonia Extraandina (JBPE) in Puerto Madryn, Argentina, has launched a competition inviting artists to create works for a new outdoor interpretive trail about the evolution of plants. The trail, titled The Evolutionary Path of Plants: Stories of Cooperation, Adaptation and Persistence, will narrate the major milestones of plant evolution, from the first photosynthetic life forms to today's diversity.

Proposals must respond conceptually to one of the six stations along the route, such as the colonization of land, the appearance of seeds, or the evolution of flowers and fruit, and should create sensory experiences that prompt reflection on these evolutionary processes. Organizers say they want to encourage transdisciplinary co-creation, and will give special weight to collective projects and proposals that connect art, design and biology, as well as to the participation of local communities and institutions.

The call is open to individual artists and collectives age 18 and older who live in Puerto Madryn and the Lower Chubut River Valley. Each participant may submit one or more proposals, which must be sent digitally by June 16, 2026. Selected interventions become part of the permanent collection of the JBPE and receive institutional visibility, promotion and credit for their authors.

Guided visits for prospective applicants are scheduled, giving artists a chance to walk the route before developing their ideas. Interested artists should confirm their eligibility, choose a station, and prepare a site-specific proposal that brings the science of plant evolution to life in a natural setting.