By Alli Sinclair
As part of
my daughter’s school curriculum they’ve been studying recycling and reusing
materials. The topic took me back to a time in Argentina when I discovered a
bizarre and fun place in Gaiman, Patagonia.
Long before
recycling became mainstream, Joaquín Alonso collected bottles, cans, and all
manner of disused household goods to create Parque
El Desafío. Desafio means challenge in English, and I’ve never ascertained
whether Señor Alonso named the park “challenge” after his project or if it had
a deeper meaning.
Although
it’s not technically a museum, Señor Alonso’s work contains articles that are
decades old. He used these pieces to create a life-sized VW bug, garden of
flowers, birds, trees, and a playground for kids, young and old, to use their
imaginations and spend an afternoon living in a world of wonder.
There are
signs that display his sense of humour, so it helps if a Spanish speaker is
nearby to translate. A classic example is at the entrance. When I was there in
2000 he charged USD4 for ‘functionaries of the state, lawmakers, and
politicians’ and 40 cents for everyone else.
In 1998,
Señor Alonso entered the Guinness Book of Records as the creator of the world’s
largest recycled park. With over 50,000 wine and beer bottles, 30,000 cans,
12,000 bottle caps, 5,000 plastic bottles and an array of televisions,
refrigerators, washing machines, and various other household appliances, Parque
El Desafío, is a great testament to how one man’s imagination and talent can
turn trash into a treasure for all.
Unfortunately
Señor Alonso passed away in 2010 and as Gaiman is off the well-worn tourist
track, his family were unable to keep the property open to the public. The
latest I heard is the place is now up for sale and weeds are growing between
the artwork. I hope someone can step in and save Parque El Desafío as it is a piece of history that is important not
just to Argentina, but to the world. To see Señor Alonso’s labour of love
disappear amongst the weeds would be a tragedy.
Even though
you can’t enter the gates now, this video might give you an idea of Señor
Alonso’s imagination and vision:
What an interesting place! He must have been a character!
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