Amanda Parer has filled Brookfield Place with supersized rabbits that glow in the dark (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Brookfield Place
250 Vesey St.
Daily through April 30, free, 12 noon – 9:00 pm (7:00 on Sundays)
212-945-0505
www.artsbrookfield.com
intrude slideshow
No, it’s not Night of the Lepus come to life, a pack of giant bunnies come to decimate humanity. Instead, in some ways, it’s the exact opposite. In 1788, the First Fleet introduced rabbits to Australia, but the real trouble began after a man named Thomas Austin brought two dozen wild rabbits into the country for sport. It wasn’t long before they multiplied to such levels that they became an invasive, unsustainable ecological hazard, destroying crops and contributing to soil erosion. Australian artist Amanda Parer references these problems in her installation “Intrude,” continuing at Brookfield Place through April 30.
“Intrude” highlights invasive species through April 30 (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
Five large-scale white blow-up rabbits, made of 210D Nylon and reaching as tall and long as thirty-nine feet, have come across the seas; as bunnies do, they have grown in number, to seven, with four having taken root on Brookfield Place’s outside deck along the river and three more, two made specifically for New York City, inside the old Winter Garden. If you don’t speak with the people watching over each rabbit, you might not learn about the havoc the feral creatures are really causing, instead just seeing it as an adorable collection of picture-taking moments. But Parer, who is originally from Sydney but is now based in Tasmania, is very serious about spreading her message; “Intrude” has previously hopped into nineteen cities, including London, Paris, and Boston, with future migrations scheduled for Houston, Los Angeles, and Denver. Although the rabbits are cute during the day, they light up at night, becoming more than a bit ominous while adding to the ultimate cool factor, illuminating visitors in more ways than one.
There’s more than meets the eye in new installation in Battery Park City (photo by twi-ny/mdr)
“I look forward to seeing the rabbits come to life at Brookfield’s properties throughout the United States,” Parer said in a statement. “I expect people will be drawn to the rabbits’ playful appearance, and I hope they will also take the time to understand the deeper meaning in the work and discuss how our actions impact the environment.” There are very specific rules for this warren of giant of rabbits: You can gently touch, kiss, pet, and hug them, but there is no kicking, punching, running, jumping, rolling, smoking, or feeding. Just remember to heed what Grace Slick once warned: “And if you go chasing rabbits / And you know you’re going to fall / Tell ’em a hookah-smoking caterpillar / Has given you the call / Call Alice / When she was just small.” And beware the Night of the Lepus