The Tate Modern art gallery has an interesting new installation in it's huge turbine hall. With a sprinkle of guerrilla gardening friendly mischief, and a pinch of the laws of chance and chaos which shape the gardeners' experience (maybe mine more than most!); Abraham Cruzvillegas' installation is a huge set of planters, filled with earth from London Parks. Lit and watered until the 13th April, the idea is to see what emerges. Already mushrooms and patches of green have sprouted. From random seeds lying dormant in the soil, as well as seeds thrown by visitors, the natural processes of growth and decay will make the artwork literally come alive.
'Empty Lot' by Abraham Cruzvillegas
The idea of holding up the chance seedlings, the rogues, weeds and unwanted plants as art appeals to me. The ragged assortment of greenery that is currently emerging does not match most people's idea of an ideal garden, but maybe we should look again at the brave shoots that colonise the most unpromising sites, and remember that beauty and worth is in the eye of the beholder.
