Huntsville, AL – Downtown Huntsville will soon welcome a global invader – in the form of 23-foot-tall inflatable illuminated Rabbits. Arts Huntsville, in partnership with Downtown Huntsville, Inc., is bringing whimsy and delight to downtown Huntsville this October with Intrude, a traveling public art installation by Australian artist Amanda Parer.

Huntsville joins the ranks of Denver, Seattle, Singapore, Sydney, and Berlin – and other metropolitan destination cities – to host Intrude.

“This is the largest temporary public art exhibit to be featured in North Alabama to date, and, with the arrival of Intrude, Huntsville is listed among major art centers nationally and globally,” said Allison Dillon-Jauken, Arts Huntsville executive director. “We’re excited to raise Huntsville’s profile as a premiere destination for the arts in the south with this installation, and for ten days in October you can experience Intrude for free in our beautiful downtown parks while also enjoying all the great arts, entertainment and cultural experiences across our community.”

The Story of Intrude

Artist Amanda Parer created the towering rabbits to highlight the invasive nature of the species in her native Australia.  Rabbits were first introduced to Australia by settlers in 1788 and have since caused a great imbalance to the country’s endemic species. The rabbit also is an animal of contradiction.

Rabbits represent the fairytale animals from childhood – a furry innocence, frolicking through idyllic fields. Intrude deliberately evokes this cutesy image, and a strong visual humor, to lure you into the artwork and then reveal the more serious environmental messages in the work.

You can explore more of Parer’s work at @parerstudio on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Intrude in Huntsville

Intrude will be on display to the public Friday, October 19^th through the 28^th in Big Spring Park East and West. The rabbits range from 10 to 23 feet tall. The public is welcome to gently interact with the bunnies and share their experience with the exhibit using the hashtag #IntrudeHsv.

The exhibit will coincide with a calendar of special events, starting with the annual LIT: Light + Innovation + Technology festival. This year LIT has been expanded to a two-day event, starting with a Party in the Park on Friday, October 19^th and the large-scale light projections on Saturday, October 20^th.

Arts Huntsville encourages the public to stay tuned for more details about the #IntrudeHsv exhibit by following @ArtsHuntsville on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and at artshuntsville.org.