Rangers: Ibrox hero Alfredo Morelos attends Glasgow exhibition which highlights importance of biodiversity in wake of COP26

The Ibrox favourite helped celebrate the work of two respected Colombian artists at Glasgow’s first ever Colombian cultural engagement.

Alfredo Morelos of Rangers attends the opening of The Universe of Colombian Birds immersive art exhibition in Glasgow.

The first-ever Colombian cultural engagement in Glasgow took place on Thursday evening, with the opening night of the special exhibition attended by government representatives from the Latin American country and Scotland.

Also in attendance was Rangers fan favourite Alfredo Morelos, who took time out of his hectic football schedule to help celebrate his fellow countrywomen as the star guest at the augmented reality art exhibition in Glasgow, which has been created to highlight the global importance of biodiversity following COP26.

The exhibition, titled Disclosure AR Unibirds Colombia, The Country With The Greatest Bird Diversity In The World Exhibition was made by celebrated Colombian artists artists Sergio Mantilla and Miguel Chaparro and offer an ‘immersive experience’, with interactive holograms showcasing the 1,958 bird species living in the Latin American country.

Each piece in the exhibition features an augmented reality hologram with a specially designed QR code which, when activated using a phone, shows how the various bird species move when in flight. Colombia is thought to be home to a fifth of all bird diversity worldwide.

Alongside other high-profile guests, 25-year-old Morelos who spent time studying the pieces and chatting to other guests in support of the event.

Hosted by the stunning new Moxy Glasgow SEC Hotel, the event saw several Colombian/Scottish links combine as West of Scotland business Ardgowan Distillery – who own business interests in Colombia – providing specially designed whisky cocktails at the event,

On the event, Colombian Ambassador to the UK Antonio Jose Ardila said:

“Colombia is making a significant cultural investment in the UK, and we want to make sure it extends far beyond London. With this exhibition in Glasgow we aim to strengthen the relationship between Scotland and Colombia.”

One of the artists, Sergio Mantilla, added: “After Climate Change, the loss of biodiversity is the single biggest threat to humanity. Colombia is the country with the most bird species in the world and this exhibition is a legacy of COP26 and Colombia’s involvement in Glasgow which seeks to enact real and tangible change in the behaviour of humans.

“It’s an honour to host this exhibition in Scotland, and through events such as this we can spread the word of the significance of biodiversity and play a part in creating a more sustainable future for all species on our planet.”

The exhibition is the latest in a series of engagements between Colombia and Scotland, which included a meeting between Scottish Government Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise Ivan McKee and Ambassador Ardila at COP26 last month.

A delegation of Scottish businesses also took part in a virtual trade mission to Colombia earlier this year – led by Inverclyde Chamber of Commerce – the first-ever Scottish Government-backed trade mission to South America.

The Unibirds exhibition will run until Tuesday, December 7 at the Moxy Glasgow SEC. Click here for more information on the event.