The Wings Flutter , Grasslands are Alive
Public Art
Meadowland at Wakehurst, Sussex
Commission by RGB Kew
June-September 2024
Curated by fynn studio
Photos by Jim Holden © RBG Kew
Located in the breathtaking Bloomers Valley, rich in local Wealden species, the five large gateways form a shrine to the meadows. Taking inspiration from the grasslands across my ancestral home in Gujarat, India, and the colourful shrines carved into the foothills of the Himalayas, the 3.5m high gateways were adorned with over 700 handsewn flags, evoking the colours of butterfly and moth wings and the flowers they pollinate. Bells at each gateway signal a sense of arrival, evoking an inner peace when rung, completing the sacred place where plants, pollinators and people meet.
There will be 5 gateways represent Panch Mahabhoot: Earth (Prithvi), Air (Vayu), Space (Akash), Water (Jal), Fire (Agni). In Indian phylisophy, the fundamental structural basis of all living beings (including all plants, animals and humans) are 5 elements or Panch Mahabhoot.
Each of these five elements symbolise distinct states of matter present in all living entities, highlighting the connection between the human body and the natural world around us.