Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival goers are being encouraged to bring along used plastic bags of all sizes and colours to create the largest plastic bag fence in New Zealand.

On the final day of the festival the bags will be removed from the boardwalk and rolled into an enormous ball for display at the Waitakaruru Aboretum and Sculpture Park.

"It is hoped that using such a problematic material will draw attention to environmental issues and create a powerful statement, especially when viewed as a cohesive whole," says artist Carole Shepard.Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival goers are being encouraged to bring along used plastic bags of all sizes and colours to create the largest plastic bag fence in New Zealand.

On the final day of the festival the bags will be removed from the boardwalk and rolled into an enormous ball for display at the Waitakaruru Aboretum and Sculpture Park.

"It is hoped that using such a problematic material will draw attention to environmental issues and create a powerful statement, especially when viewed as a cohesive whole," says artist Carole Shepard."This ubiquitous everyday object floods (and clogs up) our daily lives and damages our environment."

Organised by the Waikato Sculpture Trust, the project entitled Collect, Create and Roll encourages the general public to work alongside local artists to loop and thread bags onto the Turtle Lake boardwalk rails to produce a spectacle of colour and movement.

Shepard says the collaborative public artwork is easily created (and removed), encouraging wide community participation.

"It was important to include a way of disassembling and reusing the materials to create another piece of art that is then easily removed.

"It is hoped that it will form part of a wider environmental discussion. The final "rolled" object will stay at the Sculpture Park for a period of time as a single sculptural element that draws attention to the need for everyone to take a strong conservation stance and how collectively changes can be made to our environment."

'Collect, Create and Roll' contributing artist Gaye Jurisich says that public art enriches the daily life of individuals during their working day or leisure time.

"There are very few opportunities for public interaction on this scale, so we're hoping for a good turn out. Public Art is considered to stand in a direct, unmediated relationship with the audience and is seen as an exercise in cultural democracy."

Jurisich is a member of the Waikato Sculpture Trust, who aim to encourage and support emerging and established artists to exhibit their work in an environment unique to New Zealand.

"We hope to encourage discussion amongst the public about the relationship between the environment and art, and also to encourage visitors to consider the space as more than just a walking place." Participation will be held over two days during the festival.

Waikato Times Hamilton Gardens Summer Festival
Participation Days - Sunday 22nd February and Sunday 1st March, 9:30am-2pm
Venue - Turtle Lake Bridge and Turtle Lake Lawn, Hamilton Gardens
Entry - Free

11/02/09