BY COLIN MIXSON
Brookfield Place is really hoppin’.
A herd of huge, inflatable rabbits have made a warren of Brookfield Place, where the floppy-eared balloon sculptures will lounge about until Apr. 30, lending the upscale office and retail complex an air of levity, according to the rabbits’ creator.
“I am thrilled for the bunnies to make their way to New York,” said sculptor Amanda Parer, whose monumental art installation — entitled “Intrude” — has appeared in more than 19 major cities around the world, including London, Perth, Paris, and Boston.
Brookfield Place became Parer and her troupe of gas-filled bunnies’ latest stop on their North American tour on April 17, when the sculptor inflated five two-story rabbits and two four-story rabbits in and around the high-end retail space.
Each of the nylon hoppers is internally lit and arranged in various bunny poses — lying down, standing up, and sitting down — which, because they’re rabbits, become instantly adorable.
But don’t be deceived by their cute and playful exterior — it’s only meant to lure you in. Parer’s ultimate hope is that her rabbits will inspire locals to contemplate nature, the environment, and the less adorable affects human influence has upon them.
“I expect people will be drawn to the rabbits’ playful appearance,” said Parer, “and I hope they will also take the time to understand the deeper meaning in the work and discuss how our actions impact the natural world in which we all live.”
