Marc Quinn: Light into Life
A major new art exhibition inspired by nature and science.
Explore a brand new exhibition from leading contemporary artist Marc Quinn at Kew Gardens this spring and summer.
Light into Life presents 17 stunning stainless steel and bronze sculptures around the Gardens and in the Temperate House alongside a presentation of Quinn’s new and existing paintings, drawings, sculptures and evocative frozen works in the Shirley Sherwood Gallery.
Marc Quinn has long been interested in the links between nature and humanity, and this exhibition brings that complex relationship to life. The mirrored effect of many of the stainless-steel sculptures blurs the boundaries between the viewer, the sculpture and the landscape, giving every visitor a unique experience of the artworks. Their reflection encourages viewers to see themselves as a part of the artwork and a part of the landscape.
Not only are the artworks a feast for the eyes, they also offer a chance to discover more about the many ways that plants form an essential part of human life. Quinn has been working in close collaboration with Kew scientists and horticulturists to explore more about plants and their incredible forms and shapes, using significant plants from across our collections to inspire his work.
Free guided walking tours
Discover some of the must-see installations of Marc Quinn: Light into Life as our Kew expert guides lead you through the blossoming Gardens.
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Palms
Event Horizon (Sabal) is a colossal yet delicate sculpture of a palm towers over the Palm House Pond. Made of silvery stainless steel, it reflects the Palm House and the viewer, hinting at the many ways that humans have used and benefitted from palms through history.
Singularity series is two smaller, shimmering mirror portraits of palm leaves grace the front of the Palm House, celebrating these spectacular forms and striking silhouettes. They are based on the dwarf palmetto (Sabal minor) and Bismarck palm (Bismarckia nobilis), which can both be found inside the 175-year-old Palm House.
Orchids
Quinn is fascinated by the beauty and rarity of orchids and there are sculptures of five in this exhibition – four in stainless steel (the Light into Light series) and one in a striking, red-painted bronze (Burning Desire). Two are based on a Sobralia orchid from the Princess of Wales Conservatory.
Plants that have inspired medicine
The Our Botanic Selves series consists of five sculptures based on dried leaf specimens preserved in Kew’s Herbarium. These artworks can be found outside of the Temperate House and each one represents a plant whose chemicals have been used for drug discovery.
Bonsai
Bonsai, while incredibly intricate and stylised, are simply plants that have been pruned in a particular way to maintain their small size. With Held by Desire, Quinn imagines two bonsai set free from this pruning and management to reach their full height, a towering 5 metres, while two versions remain at their original size.
Gallery exhibition
The Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art features newly conceived artworks inspired by Kew’s archives, scientific research and horticulture. These are accompanied by a selection of existing pieces, many of which explore the idea of nature as a fundamental part of humanity – a prominent focus of Marc Quinn’s practice since the 1990s.
