Bruce Munro’s art installation Field of Light: Avenue of Honour will be farewelled under military salute as it glows for the as they glow for the very last time Sunday evening 28 April 2019.
In the days before its lights are permanently dimmed a number of special events will take place at and around Field of Light: Avenue of Honour, concluding Albany’s World War I centenary commemorations and Anzac Day.
Among these, nightly Last Post ceremonies, a cadet guard of honour and an especially poignant tribute to the memory of those who served: from April 25-28 the lights will also come on at dawn.
Commissioned by cultural organisation FORM in partnership with the City of Albany, the installation is a tribute to those who served in World War One, and also stands for those who have served and lost their lives in subsequent conflicts throughout the world.
More than 160,000 attendees have experienced Field of Light: Avenue of Honour since Tourism Minister Paul Papalia launched the installation in October 2018. Many thousands more are expected during the busy Easter and Anzac Day periods.
FORM’s Executive Director Lynda Dorrington said “As we approach the closing of Field of Light: Avenue of Honour I think we can begin to understand the impact this artwork has had on the community and its visitors.”
“Field of Light: Avenue of Honour offers a contemporary way to commemorate a momentous period in history, and has connected thousands with memory, notions of sacrifice and legacy in a meaningful way,” Dorrington said.
FORM visitor manager, Sue McMahon said “I’ve been astounded by the diversity of age and nationalities visiting daily and connecting with the meaning behind the artwork. Especially seeing primary school kids and teenagers listening to the audio guide and being moved by the stories of a War that for them, occurred so long ago.”
“The impact made by Field of Light: Avenue of Honour is cross-generational and I’m looking forward to welcoming many more thousand visitors in the closing few weeks,” McMahon added.
Mayor of Albany, Dennis Wellington said that Field of Light: Avenue of Honour has been an outstanding success for the City of Albany and has shed new light on the town’s Anzac history, creativity and diversity.
“Having the Field of Light: Avenue of Honour in Albany has brought people from far and wide to remember the sacrifices our Anzacs made at a very poignant moment in our nation’s history. I urge everyone who hasn’t seen the wonder of this exhibition to visit, with only 2 weeks left, it would be an incredible shame to miss out,” Mayor Wellington said.
Field of Light: Avenue of Honour is in situ up until and including the night of Sunday 28 April, after which it will be uninstalled.
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