Pyrmont’s Pirrama Park will be transformed into a surreal forest of blue trees around the world’s greatest harbour to raise awareness of the human impact on the environment.
The Blue Trees, part of the City’s Art & About Sydney, is a thought-provoking community art project that aims to draw attention to global deforestation in a highly visual way by turning trees bright blue.
Created for the first time in Sydney, renowned artist Konstantin Dimopoulos will colour up to 40 trees with an environmentally safe, water-based colourant that will gradually disappear over coming months.
Eighty children from Ultimo Public School and volunteers from the community will help Konstantin to create the bold installation on 4 and 5 March.
“We’re thrilled to bring this project to Sydney for the first time, and involving the local community makes it even more meaningful,” said Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
“The Blue Trees project continues Art & About’s tradition, which I love, of introducing artworks in unusual places that are eye-catching, memorable and intriguing.
“Colouring the trees like this sends a stark message about the Earth’s forests, and does it in a way that poses no threat to trees, wildlife, humans or waterways.
“Trees are such an important part of our everyday lives that we often take them for granted, but we need to make sure they’re here for future generations.”
The Blue Trees, an initiative first launched at Vancouver Biennale in 2009, has become a global public-art hit featuring in more than 14 cities around the world.
Konstantin said his inspiration for creating the artwork was to raise social awareness about the role of trees as the lungs of the world.
“Colour is a powerful stimulant, a means of altering perception and defining space and time, and blue is a colour not naturally identified with trees – it suggests that something unusual is happening.
“In nature, colour is used as a means of protection and a mechanism to attract. The Blue Trees is an attempt to elicit a similar response and inspire conversation and action around deforestation issues.”
Visitors to The Blue Trees are encouraged to share their thoughts on the environment with the hashtag #bluetrees.
Art & About Sydney started as a small festival in 2001 and has grown into an internationally-renowned, all-year-round program that attracts artists and collaborators from across the globe
More details on the project are available at www.artandabout.com.au
For more information, contact City of Sydney Senior Publicist, Elaine Kelly on 0477 362 550 or ekelly@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
For interviews with Lord Mayor Clover Moore, contact Paul McKay. Phone 0432 182647 or email pmckay@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au