Giant Illuminated Rabbits Are Coming to ‘Intrude’ the Lawn on D

Photograph by Amanda Parer

This weekend, hop over to the Lawn on D for its next public art installation, Intrude, featuring five white inflatable rabbits. Starting on Thursday, these two-story-high illuminated giants will be blown up on the Lawn, giving visitors a sense of wonder as they look up and feel “shrunken down.”

Originally created in 2014 for the Vivid Festival of Lights in Sydney by Tasmanian artist Amanda Parer, the rabbits are constructed from a waterproof and fireproof nylon fabric sewn together, held up by pressure coming from internal airblowers, and lit up by LED floodlights. Together, they create a work of art that Parer describes as “joyful, playful, and thought-provoking.”

“In my work, I really like extremes—I like to capture darkness and light and human mysteriousness,” she says. “People see the work and initially see the rabbits as cute. Then they approach the work and might feel a little bit of fear because they’re so big and giant… I wanted them to look like they’ve just hopped into—or intruded into—the space.”

Although Parer’s work often features animals, rabbits in particular were chosen for this installation as a way to convey a metaphor about the environment. Rabbits are often thought of as innocent creatures, pets, and characters in children’s books such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. However, in Parer’s native Australia, they have a different meaning—since its introduction in the 18th century, the rabbit has caused a lot of destruction. Parer uses the rabbits in Intrude as a metaphor for what humans do to the environment as well.

“If people recognize the themes in the work, that’s great,” she says. “If people come out from the experience of seeing the work with joy or inspiration or wonder, I think that’s a beautiful thing, too.”

Boston is Intrude’s latest destination. Previously, the whimsical installation has been featured in various festivals around the world in London, Belgium, France, Canada, Scotland, Denmark, and Italy. Intrude follows the success of Pentalum, which drew large crowds to the Lawn on D earlier this summer, and keeps up with the venue’s efforts to create an interactive outdoor space with plenty of public art to enjoy.

In addition to the installation, visitors can treat themselves to food and drinks from GrilleD and local food trucks, as well as wine and beer from the Tent bar.

Intrude can be viewed on the Lawn on D on Thursday, July 9, from 5 p.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, July 10, from 12 p.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday, July 11, from 12 p.m.-10 p.m.; and Sunday, July 12, from 12 p.m.-8 p.m.