Baker & Borowski’s Pleasure Garden Opens in West London
A summer garden rewilding installation by artists Baker & Borowski is now open on Warwick Road, opposite Earl’s Court Underground station. Part of KCAW Public Art Trail and Underbelly’s London Wonderground activities on ‘former site of the Earls Court 2 Exhibition Centre’, this artist takeover is inspired by the eighteenth-century concept of the Pleasure Gardens.
Originally, the Pleasure Gardens would have been laid out as formal gardens, with shrubberies and miniature waterways, and dedicated buildings for performances and for eating, they were places to see the latest in art and architecture and some even becoming the first public art galleries in Britain. The artist duo hopes to inspire and encourage people to connect with nature, rewilding the landscape and introducing a diversity of colours and plant-life into the urban environment.
Rewilding + Family Friendly
Locally-sourced flowers, ecology and sustainability are at the heart of the family friendly installation. The artists invite you to step into a kaleidoscope of colours and flowers: Bees and butterflies, beautiful chrysanthemums, red hot pokers, lavender, cornflowers, tansy, allium and blousy poppies will burst will energy and liveness, creating a spirit of joy and celebration while sending beautiful scents into the air.
Inspired by the original gates at Cremorne Gardens in Chelsea, World’s End, the installation is a magical gateway into Baker & Borowski’s version of a summer wonderland. Despite the energy of the colours, the space will be tranquil, family friendly and safe for the community to relax and enjoy. The gardens in Chelsea were the largest and most spectacular of their type, and Baker & Barowski plan to reinvigorate these garden’s legacy, trees and wildflowers will be planted to give some shade. There was nothing quite like the London pleasure garden, and no modern equivalent has existed until now!
The Kensington + Chelsea Art Week activities have launched the Kensington + Chelsea Festival in West London, a summer-long festival season of experiences in venues and unusual spaces, putting culture at the heart of pandemic recovery. The event aims to refocus our attention on the exceptional cultural offering in this part of West London, with a diverse programme of public art installations, exhibits, murals, walking tours, events and talks taking place. The festival will celebrate and promote Kensington and Chelsea as a cultural hotspot, showcasing an extraordinary cross section of art and culture throughout the Royal Borough.