A grove of Alders sit close to the Mamquam River in Waterfront Park, but there’s something different about these trees if only we could put our finger on it…
Egyptian-born artist Konstantin Dimopoulos believes that public art should give people a reason to slow down and question the world around us. His work is classed as ‘environmental performance art’ and is designed to bring environmental consciousness and social action together through community participation. Painting the trees with a blue pigment made the typically invisible, visible. Not only that but they became a talking point highlighting the effect of deforestation around the world.
Part of the Vancouver Biennale initiative, the installation was created with the assistance of students from Quest University Canada, Coast Mountain Academy, and volunteers from the local community. To learn more about the Vancouver Biennale click here.
Awards
- The Blue Trees project was selected as a finalist from 1,022 entries for the Danish Index Design Awards, the largest design award in the world, in 2013.
- Konstantin Dimopoulos was the winner of the artist category for the Climate Week Awards: 2014.
- The Blue Trees was named as one of the Top 100 Activism Trends of 2012 for ideas that change the world.
Play the video in the gallery on the left for an interview with Dimopoulos. This was produced by Sussie Ramirez in November 2015 as part of a Short Form Media class at the Art Institute of Vancouver, mentored by instructor Susanne Tabata.
