For Dubai Garden Glow, being green has always been a priority. From reusing fabric to create awe-inspiring installations every year, to powering up the garden with LEDs that consume less power, the park has tried its best to reduce its environmental footprint since its opening in 2015.
So when nature was chosen as the all-pervasive theme for the fourth season, Dubai Garden Glow raised its green credentials an extra notch by launching the Art Park. Made entirely of repurposed materials, the latest addition spotlights wildlife in their natural habitat, aiming to inspire love and regard for the environment while bringing to fore the message of conservation.
More than 20 installations of flora and fauna made of things you wouldn’t usually associate with art have given rise to a mini forest in this section. A raging bull, spitting cobra, peacocks, pandas, trees and plants, hills and waterfalls have all taken shape with the help of metal frames, reused fabric, glass and plastic bottles and LED lights.
Each centrally lit artwork is studded with transparent bottles filled with different coloured water to make specific designs and patterns. So while the peacocks offer a burst of colour, the pandas shine and glitter among the vegetation.
And it’s not just glass bottles that have been put to good use. An installation of a pair of swans, made of ordinary plastic as well as glass bottles, seems simple in design but breathtaking in scale and artistry.
The ship of the desert also gets representation among the animals. A herd of camels come fitted with CDs and tiny LEDs making for a vibrant installation and a nod to the region.
All these artworks are testimony to the ingenuity, creativity and craftsmanship of the 200 artistes from across the world, who took two months to set up this attraction. Every installation in the Art Park, including the elephant put together using household china, is a reiteration of the main message: reuse, repurpose and recycle.
With more than 500 varieties of plants and trees spread across 100 acres, the garden, by itself, offers people an escape from the concrete jungle. Add the artworks that prompt conversations about conservation to it, and Dubai Garden Glow becomes one of the favourite haunts of nature lovers.
