To coincide with the United Nations year of the tree, the Vancouver Biennale Open Air Museum presents The Blue Trees by Australian artist Konstantin Dimopoulos. Three distinctly unique installations will be created in Port Moody, Richmond and West Vancouver, where the artist will spend several days creating a blue forest in each city. In doing so, the artist re-ignites discussions about global deforestation, encouraging a new level of environmental consciousness. The public is invited to come to each location to watch the artist during the incredible transformation.
“This is a social art action,” says Dimopoulos. “I hope that from these beginnings this work can create its own momentum that will see trees in cities worldwide become blue – become visible. Through colour I am making a personal statement about the spirituality of trees and their importance to our very survival: trees are the lungs of the planet. Colour is a powerful stimulant, a means of altering perception and defining space and time. The fact that blue is a colour that is not naturally identified with trees suggests to the viewer that something unusual, something out of the ordinary has happened. It becomes a magical transformation.”
Dimopoulos says that in nature colour is used both as a defensive mechanism, a means of protection, and as a mechanism to attract. The Blue Trees attempts to waken a similar response from viewers. It is within this context that the blue denotes sacredness, something reverential.
Says Dimopoulos,”Trees are largely invisible in our daily lives, and it’s not until it’s too late that we realise how important they are to us both aesthetically and environmentally. Each year an area at least the size of Belgium of native forests is cleared from around the planet. Yet while we do this we look at whether other planets can be inhabited, so we’ve got somewhere else to go once we’ve destroyed our own.”
The colour used on the trees is biologically safe pigmented water. As an ephemeral artwork, the colour will naturally degrade and the trees gradually revert to their natural state.
DATES AND LOCATIONS
West Vancouver: March 30 – April 2
Grosvenor Ambleside
1392 Marine Drive
Port Moody (2 locations): March 22-26
Port Moody Arts Centre and Port Moody Civic Centre
2425 St. John’s Street 100 Newport Drive
Richmond: March 17 – 21
Garden City Park
Corner of Alberta Road & Garden City Road
Artist Talk: April 7
Lulu Art in the City with Konstantin Dimopoulos
Thursday, April 7, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.
Council Chambers, Richmond City Hall
Visit www.richmond.ca/luluseries
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Konstantin Dimopoulos works in sculpture and public art. His kinetic sculptures are moved by the wind, tall rods that appear as grasses in their natural environments. He has public sculptures around the world including across the USA, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Arab Emirates. Visit www.kondimopoulos.com for more information.
ABOUT THE VANCOUVER BIENNALE
The Vancouver Biennale Open Air Museum features sculpture, new media and performance work situated along scenic bike routes, beachside walkways, rapid transit stations and urban plazas. The objective is to celebrate contemporary art in public places, transforming the urban landscape into a cultural experience for people to enjoy where they live, work, play and transit throughout the day. The 2009-2011 exhibition in-TRANSIT-ion includes 40 works of art by renown and breakthrough artists from 15 countries worldwide with a focus on Asia. The Vancouver Biennale also produces supporting programmes including interactive school curriculum, cycling events, and public symposia, and is committed to leaving a legacy of public art in host communities. For more information visit www.vancouverbiennale.com.