Having proved a great success in Milan last summer, the Per fare un albero (“To make a tree”) project has now crossed the border and arrived in Paris under the name of L’Arbre de L’Espoir. The project still features the full scale fibreglass sculptures of the Fiat 500C created by designer and architect Fabio Novembre, containing different shapes and sizes of tree.

The original Italian initiative was conceived to inject some colour and cheer into the hot Milanese summer. Twenty of the original 500 styled creations were arranged along Via Montenapoleone, the centre of Milan's international fashion district, from 5th August to 30th September 2009. The exhibition transformed one of Milan’s most prestigious areas into an open, cheerful destination where design, productivity and business came together to provide a service to the city’s citizens and tourists.

The L’Arbre de L’Espoir project in Paris is a natural evolution of the Milanese event, and focuses on the values of respect for the environment, art and solidarity. Fiat is sponsoring a gala dinner organised by the “Dessine l’Espoir” association at the Grand Palais in Paris on the evening of 16th March, and one of the five sculptures by Fabio Novembre on display in front of and inside the Grand Palais itself will be auctioned at the event to the highest bidder.

All profits from the sale will be donated to the Dessine l’Espoir association, which is promoted by UNESCO’s Goodwill Ambassador Cristina Owen-Jones, and helps people affected by HIV and AIDS, particularly in southern Africa, by using art as a tool to prevent and combat marginalisation. The gala dinner will also mark a preview of the 12th edition of ArtParis, the modern and contemporary art exhibition scheduled to run from 18th to 22nd March, in which Fiat will take part as Official Car.