NGV Living Landscapes

A new La Trobe University initiative, inspired by one of the world&rsquos most influential living artists currently featuring at the NGV in David Hockney: Current, will see a virtual forest of hand drawn digital trees and plants translated into a real-life forest, creating long-lasting benefits for the environment.

Under the initiative, Living Landscapes, visitors to the NGV&rsquos Friday Nights program create their own personalised tree on an iPad using the colours and brush strokes inspired by David Hockney. They move their tablet over a virtual scale replica of the University&rsquos 30-hectare Wildlife Sanctuary and digitally &ldquoplant&rdquo their creation amid an evolving forest of digital trees already created by other visitors on the night.

For each of the estimated 4000 virtual plants created during the initiative, La Trobe will plant one within the Sanctuary, which was set up 50 years ago to protect local flora and fauna. Sanctuary Senior Coordinator Andrew Stocker said the University was delighted to offer an experience that allowed gallery visitors to create their own Hockney-inspired art while also helping protect an iconic Melbourne habitat.