GREAT APE makes a dramatic call for climate action

GREAT APE makes a dramatic call for climate action

Internationally renowned Australian artist and RMIT alumnus Lisa Roet presents GREAT APE for the first time in the UK, coinciding with the World Design Congress.

The 13-metre inflatable ape will be presented from 4 to 14 September at The Royal Geographical Society in London.

Roet, an RMIT School of Art alumnus, is celebrated worldwide for her inflatable and hand stitched primate sculptures, which have appeared on landmarks in city centres around the world including Melbourne, Beijing and Edinburgh.

The artist said that GREAT APE calls attention to deforestation and climate stability, reminding audiences that protecting great apes also means protecting the forests that regulate our planet's climate.

News story images 1220 × 732 - 1The fully inflated GREAT APE sculpture at The Royal Geographical Society in London

"Thirty years ago, when I spoke about environmental degradation, journalists looked away," Roet said.

"Today, contemporary art embraces activism, and my sculptures are a call to protect our forests.

“Great apes are umbrella species: protect the ape and you protect the forest," she said. 

Produced in a Melbourne studio with Airena Productions, the GREAT APE skin comprises thousands of satin‑finished, hand‑cut and machine‑quilted fabric into peel‑shaped panels.

These panels are joined by weather‑resistant thread into an airtight envelope that, when inflated, weighs barely 200 kilograms yet displaces over 40 cubic metres of air.

The hoarding around the base of GREAT APE is a waterproof lightweight material made from recycled plastic bottles, which will be used after the project to make board shorts and sold to raise funds for Sungai Watch, an organisation in Bali working with plastic removal from waterways. 

Alongside the installation on the terrace of The Royal Geographical Society, the nearby pavilion is hosting a photography and jewellery exhibition and a program of free talks including one on 10 September exploring the nexus of art, science, design and sustainability.

GREAT APE is supported by House of Oz, Global Victoria, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Australian High Commission and Creative Victoria.

The launch event for GREAT APE was joined by RMIT Europe and the RMIT Alumni UK Chapter. 


Story: Karen Matthews

10 September 2025

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