The spirit of caring that embodies Christmas is the inspiration behind the plastic Giant Dandelions installation recently unveiled at the Sky Park of SM Aura Premier in Taguig City. Famed textile artist, Olivia d’Aboville, thought there is nothing nobler that caring not just for loved ones, but for the one thing that has nurture us the most in more ways than we can imagine ~ the environment.
Oliva, a young French-Filipino artist based in Manila, is a staunch supporter of environmental efforts. She specializes in tapestry and textile structures, as well as adapting various techniques to create her very own woven forms and recycling had already been a major component of her pieces even while she was still a design student in Paris. She is drawn to mass-produced objects and has found a creative way of manipulating and recycling plastic spoons, water bottles, cocktail stirrers, and a whole lot of other materials create new work. She is also mostly known for ocean inspired works and is very sensitive to light, fluidity, and movement.
When asked about the nature of her art, Olivia shared, “I do a lot of recycled art and then progressively incorporate different materials to my work. Plastic is really an element that I like working with, and also the fact that I am a textile designer makes everything I do have some sort of textile technique within the piece.”
Giant Dandelions Blossoms in SM Aura Sky Park
In partnership with SM Supermalls, Olivia d’Aboville recently found a new home for her spectacular art installation, aptly called Giant Dandelions.
The SM Aura Sky Park lawn was transformed into a bed of vibrant, chromatic visual and aural feast, as 90 colorful giant flowers made from recycled water bottles were unveiled and added spark to the most colorful season of all. These larger-than-life light flowers are a brilliant masterpiece where people can freely take photos, walk through, or just be enthralled.
The installation features flowers of different heights, from 160cm to 210cm high, with dandelion heads made from approximately 9,000 recycled water bottles cut and connected to one another by a nylon weave. Each flower is also lit by a color changing LED strip.
When asked about her interactive work on display, Olivia enthused, “The set up is very much influenced by the peacock. That’s what we tried to recreate by working with a lot of blues and greens. We started in the center and the lights will dissipate and change color. We’re also influenced by the music. When the music is more whimsical, you have these little lights coming along, blinking and changing colors.”
Campaigning For A Sustainable Ecosystem
In their continuous efforts to care for the environment and take part in recycling efforts, SM Cares, a division of SM Foundation, launches the Giant Dandelions and it is a main attraction that is simply not to be missed. If you happen to be around SM Aura during the holidays do check out this wonderful installations. The light show is set to music playing every hour starting at 7PM until 10Pm, between 16 November until 16 January, 2015 only at the Sky Park of SM Aura Premier.
For more information about the Giant Dandelions, as well as about the SM Supermalls Christmas celebrations, visit them through any of the following accounts:
- Website ~ smsupermalls.com
- Follow the #MerrySMChristmas hashtag
- Follow @smsupermalls on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram