While the general consensus is that bunnies are adorable, friendly creatures, some others beg to differ (like every single Donnie Darko fan out there). Australian artist Amanda Parer took both perceptions of these fuzzy creatures to create her highly acclaimed public art installation “Intrude.” Consisting of seven two-story tall, inflatable bunnies that glow in the dark, this installation is set to invade New York City at Brookfield Place in Battery Park City this month.
From Parer’s video below, the rabbits first appear innocent and somewhat inviting as the sun shines through their sheer material in the distance. Come nightfall, the illuminating rabbits have a sinister look to them that is nothing short of frightening.
So, why rabbits?
Parer states on her website:
Rabbits in artist Amanda Parer’s native Australia are an out of control pest, leaving a trail of ecological destruction wherever they go and defying attempts at eradication. The rabbit also is an animal of contradiction….They represent the fairytale animals from our childhood – a furry innocence, frolicking through idyllic fields. Intrude deliberately evokes this cutesy image, and a strong visual humour, to lure you into the artwork only to reveal the more serious environmental messages in the work. They are huge, the size referencing “the elephant in the room”, the problem, like our environmental impact, big but easily ignored.
Planting seven larger-than-life rabbits on a busy downtown street in New York City should seamlessly send Parer’s message that rabbits aren’t as cute and friendly as the Easter bunny. New Yorkers can view “Intrude” from April 17-30 and decipher their feelings for themselves.