Projeto Maravilha: Carlos Vergara

Projeto Maravilha Carlos Vergara

LOCATION
Rio de Janeiro, RJ

CURATORSHIP
Ulisses Carrilho

CREATED BY
A-PONTE

ARTIST
Carlos Vergara

YEAR
2024–2025

SPONSORSHIP
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC Brasil)

SUPPORT
Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar®

Projeto Maravilha integrates art, nature, and technology at the Bosque das Artes, an Atlantic Forest reserve atop Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro. Few spaces are as suited for this convergence as Sugarloaf, a Brazilian cultural heritage site.

Conceived and produced by A-PONTE, the project’s first edition features three original sculptures created by the Brazilian artist Carlos Vergara specifically for the Bosque das Artes, inaugurated in October 2024 as a new cultural space in Rio.

Carlos Vergara is renowned for his ability to transform spaces and engage audiences in reflections on the intersection between art and nature. The works on display highlight the harmony between large-scale sculptures and the surrounding biome.

Our aim is to provide an immersive contemporary art experience while enhancing the contemplation of the landscape and the richness of the local ecosystem through artistic interventions that engage critically with the local fauna and flora.

Educational Program

The Projeto Maravilha’s educational program is divided into two main areas: activities and programs aimed at schools and teachers, and a special schedule for the general public that connects Carlos Vergara’s artworks with the environment, nature, sustainability, city history, Sugarloaf’s geological monument, Guanabara Bay, and indigenous peoples, among other interdisciplinary topics.

The program’s activities aim to foster meaningful connections between individuals and their ways of experiencing and relating to art, others, and the world around them.

Digital Experience

Pedagogically designed to raise ecological awareness, the paths proposed by Projeto Maravilha create a dynamic integration of contemporary art with Bosque das Artes at Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar®.

Through QR codes scattered throughout the forest, visitors embark on a journey guided by the tiê-sangue bird, the digital mascot and host of this art, ecology, and entertainment journey. The starting point is a playful 3D sculpture of the bird, created by illustrator Marina Smit.

By interacting with each stage of the digital experience, visitors earn reward points which, when accumulated, unlock an exclusive digital artwork (NFT) at the end of the tour. This virtual gift celebrates public engagement and participation, making the visit special and offering a unique and lasting memento of Projeto Maravilha and Bosque das Artes.