Haig Park Experiments | Illuminated Sculptures Concept | Canberra Journeys - Truffula Trees

The ‘Canberra Journeys - Trufflula Trees’ sculptures are designed by local Artist Jodie Cunningham for the Haig Park Experiments. They embody the form of a stylised tree to celebrate the trees in the park and the concept of the value of forest preservation and reforestation in the fight against climate change.  The pinwheel and striped imagery on the ‘tree’ reference the Truffula Trees in Dr Zuess’s cautionary tale of ‘The Lorax’ in which greed leads to environmental disaster and the Truffula Tree is a symbol of hope.  Additionally the imagery on the ‘Canberra Journeys - Truffula Trees’ uses symbolism to celebrate Canberra connections with inspiration coming from a variety of local sources including the Marion Mahoney and Walter Burley Griffin 1911 Plans for Canberra, patterns from Canberra suburban architecture - like the 1960s breeze blocks in suburban Canberra homes; the rainbow ‘target’ to represent the diversity of the Canberra people; the waves to represent the lakes of Canberra; and the symbol of the pinwheel which has been used to create a sense of celebration and a sense of movement, and reference the idea of play and ‘turning luck around’, transmitting good luck to the Canberra people. The trees forms are made from digitally printed plywood with Acrylic perspex inlay illuminated solar powered light box inserts that glow with intense colours at night. They are anchored on cast concrete plinth that reflects a distorted Griffin hexagon form.