To raise awareness of climate change and the risk it imposes on wild species, designers Tom Lane and Ged Palmer created the Going Gone Gorilla installation. This ape is covered from head to toe with messages about Africa and gorillas, but the letters only become visible with temperature changes.
The primate is originally black and, as the day warms up, it turns white and an educational text appears. The reverse occurs when it’s nighttime. In order to create this effect, the sculpture was covered with heat-sensitive paint. Awarded silver and a bronze in the Fresh Digital Awards, the creators of this color-changing piece decided to donate it for charity, raising nearly $8,000.
The Going Gone Gorilla was initially part of the Wow! Gorilla project, which was developed to focus people’s attention to the awful living conditions gorillas have to endure.
Heat-Sensitive Statues
The Going Gone Gorilla Installation Changes Colors to Educate
Trend Themes
1. Climate Change Awareness - Opportunity for educational installations that visually represent climate change impact.
2. Heat-sensitive Technology - Potential for heat-sensitive paint to be used in various artistic and informational mediums.
3. Charitable Art Initiatives - Increased popularity of donating art installations for charity fundraising purposes.
Industry Implications
1. Art and Design - Disruptive innovation opportunity for artists to explore heat-sensitive technology in their creations.
2. Environmental Conservation - Opportunity to use heat-sensitive installations as a tool for raising awareness about the effects of climate change on wildlife.
3. Fundraising and Nonprofit - Growing trend of incorporating art installations, like the Going Gone Gorilla, to raise funds for charitable causes.