Visitors poured into Longwood Gardens this past Saturday to see 23-acres of breathtaking ‘Light: Installations’ by artist Bruce Munro. Although Munro describes the installations as simply “sketchbook jottings realized”, this “large-scale one-man-show” is anything but a simple feat. Eight large outdoor installations, two installations within the 4-acre Grand Conservatory and a collection of illuminated sculptures in the Music Room are keeping visitors mesmerized for hours.
Munro’s ‘Light: Installations’ are being shown for the first time outside of the UK. They will remain open until September 29th this year. Continue reading for more images and information.
‘Light: Installations’ at the Longwood Gardens includes:
- Forest of Light is a serene forest of 20,000 illuminated stems scattered along a forest walk.
- Water-Towers is a monumental maze of 69 towers in the water meadow, which seem to move in a monumental glowing dance as they change color in synchronization with music.
- In Waterlilies, Munro pays homage to Longwood’s iconic water lily by floating platters of shimmering CDs onto the Large Lake.
- Nearby on the banks, the 7,000-stem Field of Light beckons visitors toward its enchanting glow.
- Arrow Spring artfully mixes the horticultural splendor of Salvia plants and sparkling LEDs to create a meandering hillside stream.
- For Candlelight, in Longwood’s tree house, Munro has placed ceramic candles lit with xenon along the beams and angled mirrors to refract their glowing light.
- Inside the Conservatory, the Orangery is hung with six Snowballs suspended from the ceiling. Each chandelier is more than nine feet in diameter and encircles 127 glass balls.
- Light Shower rains more than 1,600 drops of twinkling light over the flooded Fern Floor, creating a magical reflection that intensifies the luminous shower.
- Finally, the Music Room features a collection of 6 smaller sculptures by Munro – Beach without Sand, Restless Fakir, Gnasher’s Big Raspberry, Boogie Woogie Tower, Rapunzel’s Towers and Mettabhavana.
Munro has made small contributions to group-shows in the USA in the past, including Contemplating The Void at New York’s iconic Guggenheim Museum, and a show of contemporary glass at the Pratt Manhattan Gallery.
To date, his best-known artworks are CD Sea at Long Knoll Field, and Field of Light at The Holburne Museum in Bath and the Eden Project in Cornwall. His work has also been much admired at the 12th century Salisbury Cathedral and at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
“Longwood Gardens is thrilled to host Bruce Munro’s first large-scale exhibition in the U.S.,” said Paul Redman, the Director. “His imaginative works will enchant and amaze our guests with their beauty and ingenuity, but also inspire them to see and experience gardens in a whole new way.”
Artist: Bruce Munro Event: LIGHT: Installations When: June 9th to September 29th, 2012 Where: Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania Photographs: Mark Pickthall, Corriette Shoenaerts and Bill Hill
More information and tickets here!
