The renowned La Trobe University Wildlife Sanctuary has been honoured with its own exhibition at Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria (NGV).
The exhibition, which began earlier this year and runs until the 10th of March every evening (from 6pm to 10pm), gives visitors the opportunity to create a ‘virtual’ tree via iPad, before ‘planting’ it into a virtual scale replica of the 30-hectare Wildlife Sanctuary.
La Trobe University has committed to planting a real tree for each of the estimated 4,000 virtual plantings expected over the course of the exhibition.
The installation forms part of a larger exhibition celebrating the life and work of David Hockney, a celebrated English artist and printmaker.
The Sanctuary’s senior coordinator, Andrew Stocker said the University was delighted to be able to include an experience that allowed visitors to the NGV an opportunity to create their own Hockney-inspired artwork, while also helping protect one of Melbourne’s critical habitats.
“Living Landscapes embodies David Hockney’s unique style by blending technology with old-style painting of beautiful flora and landscapes,” he said.
“Participants are not only creating their own unique piece of digital art, they are also making a lasting contribution to a sustainable future.”
This is the fourth year that La Trobe has partnered with NGV in its exhibitions and the 50th year since the Wildlife Sanctuary was created.
Living Landscapes will run during every NGV Friday Night from 6pm – 10pm until the 10th of March.