Bosque Animado de Oma

In 1984 sculptor and painter Agustín Ibarrola chose this site in the valley of Oma, Spain to create a work of living art using the surrounding pine trees as his canvas. The result is a mesmerizing fusion of nature and art known as Bosque Animado, or the Living Forest. Ibarrola painted his designs across clusters of multiple trees, creating a segmented effect in which one’s experience of the images changes depending on one’s position. Common motifs in the Living Forest include eyes, rainbows, and human figures, as well as geometric shapes and abstract designs. The bright, vivid colors in Ibarola’s works contrast with the natural earthy tones that surround them. Bosque Animado is located within the Biosphere Reserve of Urdaibai, an official UNESCO site.