GEORGE TOWN, Nov 30 — Art has long been used to create awareness of various issues but The Tree of Light, an immersive art installation, goes a step further to create an almost spiritual experience to drive home the message.

Visitors to the exhibition will be invited to sit on mats surrounding the installation before putting on headphones to listen to the story behind the work.

The art installation, comprising twisted branches adorned with globe-like shapes and long pale tendrils made from banana trees, may look odd or even creepy, especially against the backdrop of ever-changing lights but the story behind it is far from eerie.

The message it presents is one of peace and harmony.

It tells of the story of the Tree of Light in an Onyo forest that came into being after a sun spirit placed a piece of her heart into it.

The tree brought light to the world and allowed life to develop, but every 100 years, all forms of life must gather to perform a sacred ritual to re-energise the tree.

Visitors will be guided through a calming breathing exercise, best experienced with their eyes closed, as they join the forest animals to re-energise the Tree of Light as it pulses in red, orange and yellow.

At the end of the experience, visitors are then invited to leave their thoughts and feelings evoked.

The art installation is the result of an international exchange programme between Penang and French artists.

Penang Art District (PAD) partnered with French artistic team Onyo to bring the project to life in Penang.

"The Tree of Light” is created by Onyo founders and renowned French artists Charlotte-Amélie Veaux and Yann Garreau.

Students from the School of Arts at Universiti Sains Malaysia built the sculpture under the guidance and consultation from Onyo.

PAD’s Kenny Ng said the exchange programme is sponsored by the Institut Français as part of the global Novembre Numérique initiative and Switch/Urban Republic.

"This project marks a milestone in cultural exchange between Penang and France, representing a significant step towards building a stronger international alliance in the field of art,” he said.

Veaux and Garreau said "The Tree of Light” was inspired by various stories about forests and nature.

"There was also this message, notably by philosopher Baptiste Morizot with his book Manières d’Être vivant, which invites readers to ‘be a living being among the living’,” they said.

The story behind the tree was also inspired by the Amateratsu myth and the Tale of the Two Brothers along with influences by the films of Hayao Miyazaki and games like Zelda, they added.

"Finally, the preface to Baptiste Morizot’s book Raviver les braises du vivant (Reviving the Embers of Life) also speaks to us, ‘What if we were wrong about the nature of nature?’,” they said.

The art installation is supported by the Penang state government, the Malaysia French Embassy and also endorsed by Alliance Française de Penang.

The exhibition, located at Blank Canvas, Lorong Argus, is open from Fridays to Sundays (12pm-7pm) until December 10.

Call 04-261 6161 for further information.