Birds of Lumos

Artists:
amigo and amigo: Renzo B. Larriviere (Australia) / Simone Chua (Australia)

Collaborators:
Pink Cactus: Govinda Webster (Australia) / George Buchanon (Australia) / Lili Bykerk (Australia)
Event Engineering: Morgan Sheehy / (Australia)
OnLED LED Lighting: Jim Chua / (Australia)

Birds of Lumos introduces us to ‘Rowi’ the kiwi and her baby chick; she wears sight-enhancing goggles — because unlike most nocturnal birds kiwi have very poor eyesight (although a keen sense of hearing and smell). The artists, amigo and amigo (Simone Chua and Renzo B. Larriviere) have made these two little birds representative of the rare Rowi species of kiwi, and their work is a comment on the importance of conservation and the protection of wildlife.

As visitors gather around them, Rowi and her chick come to life — glowing and pulsating different colours through their light globe bodies. If Rowi senses danger, she will go through a ‘charge’ sequence; her glow will dim for a few seconds to ‘charge up’ and then illuminate in an intense display of light. The Rowi kiwi does well to be wary of intruders because unfortunately 95% of kiwi hatched in the wild are killed by introduced pests and predators.

The Rowi kiwi (one of five kiwi species) is highly endangered, with a population of just 450 birds remaining. The NZ Department of Conservation, in partnership with Air New Zealand, relocates the Rowi kiwi and other endangered species to safer new breeding habitats throughout New Zealand, paying great dividends to the environmental, economic and social well-being of the country.