Art installations:Food Forever

Food Forever incorporates a series of large-scale contemporary art installations using the medium of art to highlight a different aspect of modern food consumption or production.

Danish artist Thomas Dambo brings a brand- new work to Kew for Food Forever. Constructed using reclaimed and recycled timber, London Trolls uses mythological figures to tell a timely tale about humanity’s relationship with the natural world. These larger-than-life sculptures will come to life against the backdrop of Kew Gardens’ UNESCO World Heritage site, allowing visitors to engage with themes of sustainability and the environment as they explore Food Forever.

Shooting at Hunger by Ghanaian artist Serge Attukwei Clottey incorporates an oversized earthen bowl inset with a clay Asanka bowl, a traditional mortar used extensively in food preparation across Ghana. This installation, also featuring traditional songs from the Ghanaian Homowo festival, will draw vital attention to the detrimental impact of climate change on both food and water security, and by extension on all life on earth.

Pip & Pop

During Food Forever, the Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art will host acclaimed Australian artist Pip & Pop, presenting a wonderfully vibrant exhibition which focuses on ideas of food insecurity and future foods.

Across the programme, visitors will be encouraged to discover more about the ongoing work of Kew Science in helping to futureproof food for generations to come. As Kew’s recent State of the World’s Plants and Fungi report highlights, 2 in 5 plants worldwide are estimated to be threatened with extinction, and at present we are overly dependent on only a few species for food, which has left the global population vulnerable to malnutrition and climate change. There are more than 7,000 known species of edible plants we could be eating, and crop diversity is key to feeding the world’s growing population. Research by Kew Scientists and partners all over the world has highlighted plant-based foods of the future including akkoub, the morama bean, and Coffea stenophylla, a delicious coffee species capable of growing in higher temperatures, rediscovered in the wild in 2018.

By learning about the health benefits of plants and fungi, the importance of global ecosystem conservation and the need to utilise more climate-resilient and sustainable crops, visitors to Food Forever will be empowered to make positive changes in their day-to-day lives, all of which will help to combat biodiversity loss and mitigate the devastating impact of climate change.

Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, will host its own food-inspired programme, Nourish. Promising a series of major outdoor art installations across its spectacular gardens, vibrant After Hours evening events, and interactive workshops, the 12 week programme invites visitors to discover more about fascinating Kew science research projects through the innovative art installations, and savour their time in nature.