Presentation

The setting for the 36th "Cal" - which Pirelli chose to present to the world in Berlin - is the landscape of Botswana, where famed photographer Peter Beard spent ten days immortalizing seven internationally renowned models Beard, who lived in Kenya for thirty years, is one of the world's greatest interpreters of the mystery and charm of Africa.

The final result is a calendar/diary that Peter Beard describes as "a living sculpture".  The 56 plates of the new Cal are a collage of images, quotations, observations and thoughts of the artist on the environment, climate change and global warming, overpopulation of the planet and the depletion of natural resources "My real concern", says the photographer "is the destruction of nature on a global scale. We've totally lost track of what evolution is based on, and how important diversity is in nature. This concept is the very foundation of survival".

For precisely this reason, throughout the shooting and production of the Calendar, measures were taken to reduce its environmental impact. And in keeping with Peter Beard's message, the Pirelli Calendar and the gala presentation of the 2009 edition were Zero Impact®.

Pirelli has in fact signed up to the LifeGate project, contributing to the creation and protection of a forested area in Costa Rica capable of absorbing the CO2 emissions generated by the production and printing of the Calendar and of the presentation event. And in addition, the Calendar was printed on natural, lead-free porous paper.