Installation build at RHS Chelsea Flower Show – final images to be released
Saatchi Gallery presents first-ever installation at RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021
- Saatchi Gallery selects British contemporary artist Dan Rawlings to present an installation at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2021 (21-26 September) at stand number RHW281
- The works featured, including new sculpture ‘Delays Expected’, 2021, aim to draw attention to humankind’s impact on the environment
For the first time, Saatchi Gallery will participate in the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Chelsea Flower Show, featuring new works by British contemporary artist Dan Rawlings. The installation coincides with the return of the RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show 2021 exhibited at Saatchi Gallery from September 18 through to October 3, 2021.
The installation features never-before-seen artworks including, ‘Delays Expected’ (2021), a steel forest shell hand cut into the walls of a repurposed transit van. The works aim to spark a dialogue about our interaction with nature and our dependency on industry. Set at the heart of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the steel structures demonstrate Rawlings’ fascination with the resilience of nature with the ‘deserted’ vehicle swamped and almost overcome by the plants and foliage of the surrounding garden.
Rawlings’ intricate hand cut process is created using a plasma cutter, a handheld torch that combines electricity and compressed air to cut through metal. Finer details are added with a variety of other specialised tools, guided by Rawlings’ preparatory painted sketches. The vehicle’s structure will be illuminated using hidden LED lights, and will be lit deliberately at random – as if left wild, and free of human control. The garden will also be surrounded by reshaped traffic lights and roadworks signage resembling Rawlings’ steel cut foliage motif.
Dan Rawlings reflects on the concept behind the work: “We hear the phrases ‘net zero’ and ‘emissions targets’ daily, and it’s easy to tell ourselves that our problems are being dealt with, that we are on a smooth road out of environmental catastrophe. We can be diligent with our recycling, carbon offsets and reusable shopping bags, but these efforts are not enough, and the reality is that we are patching a potholed road. Traffic lights and roadworks interrupt the flower show, and weeds interrupt the roadworks. The installation is a utopian Atlantis – the spectre of a world that could be free.”
Saatchi Gallery’s Partnerships Director, Laura Uccello: “We are delighted to participate in this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, and share Dan Rawlings’ timely installation with the show’s visitors. We believe the show is a unique platform for contemporary art to reach new audiences and our hope is that the work will prompt a conversation about our relationship with the environment.”
This installation will be on view at stand number RHW281, located on the major show thoroughfare Royal Hospital Way.
-ENDS-
KEY DATES AND OPENING HOURS
| RHS Chelsea Flower Show, | 21 – 26 September 2021: |
| 21 – 22 September: RHS members only, 8am-8pm | |
| 23 – 25 September: RHS members and non-members, 8am-8pm | |
| 26 September: RHS members and non-members, 8am-5.30pm | |
| Tickets are still available & can be purchased here: www.rhs.org.uk |
RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show 2021, Saturday 18 September – Sunday 3 October 2021:
Monday – Sunday, 10AM-6PM, Thursdays: 10AM-9PM
Tickets available now: https://www.temp-saatchigallery.com/exhibition/rhs2021
IMAGES
Publicity images can be downloaded via the Saatchi Gallery press page or by contacting the press teams. By downloading the images, you acknowledge and accept the terms and conditions found within the link. These images can only be reproduced to illustrate a review or criticism of a work or report as defined by section 30 (i) and (ii) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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ABOUT DAN RAWLINGS (b. 1979, London)
Dan Rawlings is a contemporary British artist born in Watford in 1979. He is known for his large-scale installations and intricate plasma-cut metal works. A sympathy for discarded objects and an admiration for nature’s resilience inspire him to create visions of a future where man’s impact is slowly reclaimed by nature. Notable recent projects include: ‘Future Returns’, a plasma-cut reclaimed oil tanker housed inside a 19thcentury church in Lincolnshire’s 20-21 Art centre, and ‘Short Haul’, an elaborately hand cut light aircraft shown at the Urban Nation Museum in Berlin during the 2019 Biennale. www.everyact.co.uk
ABOUT RHS BOTANICAL ART & PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW 2021
The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and Saatchi Gallery have partnered to present the return of the RHS Botanical Art and Photography Show in 2021. The 2021 show runs from 18 September to 3 October 2021 and presents of more than 200 of the best botanical artwork and garden photography by 15 artists and portfolio collections from 19 photographers that will all compete for an RHS Medal – Gold, Silver Gilt, Silver or Bronze. Winners of this year’s show are announced in the Awards evening on Friday, 17th September.
The RHS Botanical Art 2021 judging panel secretary is Charlotte Brooks, Art Curator at RHS Lindley Library and the RHS Photographic Competition judging panel secretary Sian Tyrrell, Head of Horticultural Information.
The exhibition is supported by Riverstone and Glenmorangie. For more information about the RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show visit: www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-london-shows/rhs-botanical-art-and-photography-show
ABOUT ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY (RHS)
The Royal Horticultural Society, the world’s leading gardening charity, was founded in 1804 by Sir Joseph Banks and John Wedgwood. Our vision is to enrich everyone’s life through plants and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place. This aspiration underpins all that we do, from inspirational gardens and shows, through our scientific research, to our education and community programmes such as Campaign for School Gardening and Britain in Bloom. We produce key publications, hold a world-class collection of horticultural books and botanical art, and sell the very best plants and gardening gifts.
The RHS is fundraising £40m to transform our gardens, outreach, and education facilities, which includes redeveloping our flagship RHS Garden Wisley and opening a new garden, RHS Garden Bridgewater, in 2021. We are solely funded by our members, visitors and supporters. For more information visit: www.rhs.org.uk
ABOUT SAATCHI GALLERY
Since 1985, Saatchi Gallery has provided an innovative platform for contemporary art. Exhibitions have presented works by largely unseen young artists, or by international artists whose work has been rarely or never exhibited in the UK. This approach has made the Gallery one of the most recognised names in contemporary art. Since moving to its current 70,000 square feet space in the Duke of York’s Headquarters in Chelsea, London, the Gallery has welcomed over 10 million visitors. The Gallery hosts over 5,000 schools visits annually and has over 6 million followers on social media. In 2019 Saatchi Gallery became a charity, beginning a new chapter in its history. www.saatchigallery.com
Saatchi Gallery, Duke of York’s HQ, King’s Rd, Chelsea, London SW3 4RY
For any press-related enquiries please contact helena@saatchigallery.com or pressoffice@rhs.org.uk