Chihuly at Kew is the first exhibition of its kind to be held in Europe. A spectacular sequence of organically shaped and vibrantly coloured glass sculptures will be set throughout Kew’s 300-acre garden landscape and inside the great glasshouses. The exhibition has been specifically designed to respond to Kew’s living collections, landscape, architecture and vistas and the visitor’s experience of the work will alter dramatically from day to night and from season to season.
Dale Chihuly is a leading figure of contemporary glass and has exhibited extensively in the United States and internationally, from Venice to Jerusalem, Iceland to Japan. Gardens of Glass, sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, will include Chihuly’s newest series of work, Fiori, which has never been exhibited in Europe. The exhibition will also include some of Chihuly’s best-loved series of work, including Macchia, Ikebana and Chandeliers.
Professor Sir Peter Crane, Director of Kew: ‘Dale Chihuly creates glass sculpture on an unrivalled scale – a scale to match the majestic environment of Kew. Wherever Chihuly and his team work they create a fantastic sense of excitement. Gardens of Glass will be the unmissable exhibition of 2005 and we are thrilled to host it.’
The Sun at Kew Gardens can currently be seen at the north end of the Princess of Wales Conservatory. An advance piece to the main exhibition, The Sun reflects the vibrant colours and monumental scale of the work to come. Standing at over four metres high and four metres wide and weighing a total of 4,600 pounds, it is made up of hundreds of pieces of hand-blown glass. Props to Chris for the original post in the Protein° Calendar.
