Elephant Parade interviewed Mirjam Binggeli, a 23-year-old, Swiss artist on her new elephant 'The Journey', a masterpiece for the Swiss Tour 2020. The elephant presents itself in black and white with 3D details of the Swiss mountains on top. It's a beautiful elephant with hidden meaning, and we are very excited to find out more about both the artist and elephant. 

Mirjam, please introduce yourself?

I am very eager for knowledge. I don't want to confine myself to borders and boundaries when the world is full of adventure and possibility. Freedom is what I try to integrate into my life in the best possible way. After school, I did an apprenticeship in graphic arts. The experience turned my hobby of creative development into a profession. Meanwhile, I work, on the one hand in a small atelier and on the other in a trading company as a marketing manager on various projects. 

Travelling, sports and the fascination of art and culture have always accompanied me. Together with my partner, our VW-Van and our kitesurfing equipment, we explore new fascinating places and meet new impressive people because there is nothing to lose and a world to see. 

What does your elephant symbolise?

For the 100th anniversary of the Knie Circus, I wanted to create an elephant together with Franco Knie that shows how the Knie elephants came from Asia to Switzerland. My goal was to create something even more powerful than just a simple visualisation of this message. I wanted to combine Swiss traditions with motifs from Asia. The Swiss Arts of silhouette cutting inspired me. I combined this art form with the Knie story, and so The Journey was born.

Do you think art plays a vital role in environmental conservation awareness?

I believe that art triggers emotions. Art stimulates people in their thinking and acting. One reaches people on a completely different level, and the space for free interpretation supports the beginning of a process. 

From the beginning, I was enthusiastic about the idea of Elephant Parade to use art as a platform to help an endangered animal. I very much hope that this project will contribute something to the protection of the elephant. We have a responsibility to the environment to give something back.

What do you hope for the Swiss Tour to achieve?

I can describe this in three words:

Attention > Awareness > Action.

For more information on Mirjam Binggeli, please visit www.bildkultur.ch.