Flamingo art installation to highlight plastic waste sparks confusion

By Martin Booth and Lauren Beavis

An art installation of nearly 1,000 fake flamingos designed to highlight plastic in the oceans has caused confusion - as they are made from plastic.

The piece 'Ramandu’s Table' by Bruce Munro is said to be a response to the world’s reliance on single-use plastics and the impact they have on waterways and the ocean.

A flock of flamingos has arrived in the water outside City Hall ahead of Bristol Light Festival 2025 - which begins tomorrow (31 January).

But the birds have already caused consternation to some people due to the individual sculptures being made out of plastic.

The birds are made from injection-moulded acrylic which is meant to pay homage to Don Featherstone’s flamingo sculptures “while also bringing a contemporary, illuminated interpretation to a public space.”

Munro said: “We created Ramandu’s Table over a decade ago, and it has toured across cities around the world to literally shine a light on the importance and beauty of wildlife.

“The flamingos are reworked and reused, time and time again for our projects.”

One local wrote on social media: "The mind boggles."

Another said: ''Bit of a mixed message isn't it?''

The Bruce Munro Studio will have two works at Bristol Light Festival 2025 with C-Scales on Castle Bridge featuring more than 1,800 CDs and DVDs that would otherwise have been thrown away.

Bristol Light Festival creative director, Katherine Jewkes, said: “At the heart of Bristol Light Festival is a commitment to minimise our carbon footprint and as a part of that we work closely with artists to repurpose and reexhibit artworks, as well as premiering new work which will then have a future life on tour.

“Bruce Munro Studio has a track record of making groundbreaking work about the environment, and we’re extremely proud he chose Bristol as the next city for this iconic work to be placed.

“Shining a light on the world’s reliance on single use plastics, the artwork itself is now a fantastic example of the power of reuse and recycle, having toured for over a decade, bringing this important conversation to audiences around the globe.”