WHAT IS BIOPHILIA?
Background – Biophilia: Homo de Natura arises from a deep connection to nature that the artists involved share. They come from different but interconnected regions – Colombia, Argentina and Jamaica. These places are characterized by an intense relationship with nature, where urban life is often in close proximity or inseparable from nature. Unlike in many parts of Europe, where urbanization can create a distinct separation between human society and the natural environment, nature is a constant presence in our regions. Dense forests, vast coastlines and vibrant ecosystems are not just backdrops to life, but integral parts of our way of life.
Hope Bartley was born on October 21, 1993 in Jamaica, he is a mixed media artist from the beautiful island of Jamaica. He grew up in Kingston and has always been strongly attracted to art. His studies confocused on the arts and sciences, which led him to a Master’s degree in architecture in degree in architecture in Germany at the Bauhaus Institute in Dessau. Since 2018, Hope has been living and working from Munich as an artist and architect.
Born in Río Cuarto, Córdoba, in 1986, Juan Tardivo has dedicated more than 20 years to perfecting the technique of oil painting, focusing on human figuration as the central axis of his artistic practice.
From his first steps at the Libero Pierini School of Fine Arts to his research in Bologna with Erica Calardo, his work reflects a profound dialogue with classical pictorial traditions. Based in Munich since 2021, his art fuses the influence of the European cultural landscape with the expressive intensity of his Latin American heritage, with a global sensibility, exploring themes of identity, space and the relationship between the individual and his environment.
Juliana Gutiérrez Wiest, born in Colombia in 1998 and based in Munich, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Multimedia Art from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität. Inspired by intense dreams and the automatic drawing of surrea- lists, she embodies memories of her homeland through abstract elements and precisely painted sculptures. Her aluminum artworks absorb and reflect light, creating a blurred world. Through her art and multi-media studies, she combines analog and digital worlds by bringing her art to life through projections, creating an immersive experience for viewers.
What is Biophilia for me: Biophilia describes our innate affinity for nature, the deep need to connect with the environment. In my work, I express this connection through paintings in which people appear as permeable, almost weightless figures. This depiction shows that we are not separate observers of nature, but integral parts that blend harmoniously into the landscape. The lightness of the human figures reflects how we might live in harmony with nature – gently, respectfully and in flow with the natural cycles that surround us.
HOPE BARTLEY
We have a body, we have a space, we are made of matter, even if this is not a fixed object, quite the opposite, we are in eternal change, but we maintain an internal structure that has been passed down to us since the beginning of time, an innate cellular affinity towards life forms, to appreciate and love. We stop in front of a landscape, in front of animals, other humans to contemplate life, the fascination of a similarity in the ability to survive, a bio-cellular bond with all living beings. In artistic research, I find an aesthetic vision of the nature of bodies and of what surrounds us indispensable, letting ourselves be amazed by a movement, by a color, by a landscape, by a body, which moves my primordial being to connect with what I am and what I want to tell.
JUAN TARDIVO
Water, a symbol of transformation and connection, is the guiding thread in my immersive installations, deeply inspired by my transcultural journey as a Colombian living in Europe. Through my work, I bring my roots to the surface, exploring how water—like light and darkness—unites worlds, carries stories, and returns them transformed. Using reflective surfaces and interactive projections, I create spaces where water becomes a surreal medium, distorting and merging. In this installation, water serves as a metaphor for personal transformation, embodying life, light, and shadow. It flows across boundaries, taking and giving back, connecting beginnings with the present. The viewer is invited to step into a portal where the tangible blends with the dreamlike, experiencing the fluidity of identity and the universality of change. Through this interplay of cultures and water’s infinite cycles, my work becomes a mirror of both individuality and shared existence—showing how, like in life, water may be calm or turbulent, yet it always flows through everything, adapting and transforming.
JULIANA GUTIERREZ
CEO Chief Executive Officer in Rhythmmm Gallery of New York, USA and founder of Cris International Swiss Art Company in Switzerland. Master in Immigration and Intercuturality and Bachelor in International Relations.
International analyst, curator, poet and author. He is a contemporary art curator who combines the study of art, interculturality and technology, to create exhibitions in the global art scene through the creation of immersive experiences with original works, digital animations and virtual reality galleries in fusion with new technological tools and artificial intelligence. He has traveled the world researching, working and visiting more than 63 countries on the 5 continents where he has received recognition from governments, universities and communities for his work in humanitarian aid, arts, ecological and social work.
