On Tuesday, April 18th, Konstantin Dimopoulos’ The Blue Trees, an environmental art installation about global deforestation and the importance of trees to people and their environment, will launch in The Denver Theatre District (DTD), coloring the trees lining the streets of downtown Denver blue, using a biologically-safe, water-based, non-permanent colorant.
Dimopoulos’ performance work uses trees as the canvas, calling attention to the fleeting quality of nature and raising social consciousness about our interactions with the natural world. The installation is the first in a series of installations, collectively called Terra Firma, to be hosted by The Denver Theatre District in 2017. Each installation, curated by NINE dot ARTS, relies on community collaboration and public interaction.
Photograph courtesy of ©Clayton Perry
For several weeks in April and the beginning of May, as weather allows, Dimopoulos will work his way through the District, coloring 150 trees blue. The public will be invited to help color the trees; specific dates, volunteer information and registration will be announced in April. The colorant will naturally degrade from the trees over a period of months, depending on the type of tree and the local weather.
“I chose to use blue because blue trees do not exist in nature. I want people to notice the trees, to see them as more than just wallpaper in their lives. Change can be threatening. Changing a local environment through color is both disconcerting and even uncomfortable,” said the artist, Konstantin Dimopoulos. “The trees I color blue will revert back to their natural state. Yet the old-growth forests and rainforests that are being removed from the planet – trees that we cannot see, trees that are hundreds of years old – are irreplaceable, at least in our lifetime. When you remove these trees, these forests, you remove whole ecosystems of plants and wildlife.”
Photograph courtesy of ©Clayton Perry
Family-friendly and free programming, scheduled throughout the month of May and hosted by The Denver Theatre District, will include musical performances, performances by local arts & culture organizations, educational lectures and wellness events. On May 20th, DTD will hold an LED art showcase with partner Denver Digerati and a special writing event with Lighthouse Writers Workshop. Family Fun Day will take place on Sunday, May 21st at Skyline Park on 16th Street Mall, giving families an opportunity to color 200 saplings, participate in environmentally friendly educational activities and enjoy kid-friendly entertainment.
Photograph courtesy of ©Leigh Broschat
“The Denver Theatre District, with the support of numerous city partners, is thrilled to welcome the performance art of Konstantin Dimopoulos, The Blue Trees, to Denver,” said David Ehrlich, executive director, The Denver Theatre District. “We’ve worked closely with the Denver Department of Public Works , Forestry, and The Park People to identify the trees that will receive the colorant and to partner with us in infusing our urban environment with a message of environmental impact.”
For more information about programming, visit the Denver Theatre District’s website and follow DTD on Facebook and Instagram (@DenverTheatreDistrict). Engage in the conversation about The Blue Trees by using the hashtag #KonBlueTrees.