Barking is reported to be home to some of the nation’s rarest bees, inspiring the sculpture’s concept, writes Anna-Louise Adepegba
An artist known for cosmic-inspired sculptures will reveal his latest “extraordinary” artwork at a local festival next month.
Luke Jerram’s new sculpture Pollernarium will be revealed at Barking Riverside’s ‘Emerge East’ festival, which will showcase a range of art, music and food on Saturday, 12th September.
Luke, most famous for his large sculptures of the Moon, Sun and the Earth, has spent 30 years creating art and exploring how we see and understand the planet and the environment.
After discovering he was colourblind, he developed an interest in light and his curiosity for understanding the processes of visual perception that reveal hidden phenomena that can’t ordinarily be seen.
Luke’s latest sculpture is a large “immersive” pollen grain which, from the inside, offers a “bee’s eye view” of Barking and Dagenham.
While the average percentage of flying insects in the UK has fallen by 60% in the last 20 years, Barking is reported to be home to some of the nation’s rarest bees, inspiring the sculpture’s concept.
Luke said: “I’ve created Pollenarium to be a bit like going inside a bee’s head and looking out through an array of 100 camera obscures simultaneously. It should be an extraordinary experience, and give people a new perspective on Barking Riverside, its special ecology and the world around them. It’s really exciting to have a new artwork premiere in this emerging area of London.”
The art was created at Pneuhas, a studio in Rhode Island in the United States. A spokesperson from the studio said: “Luke’s instinct for storytelling, paired with the grounding in science, pushed us to take that idea further, to share not just an insect’s vision – but the thing insects are searching for: pollen.”
At the festival, visitors will be able to push past the curtains of the dome with a “bright, eye-catching yellow and orange exterior”, to reveal an upside mosaic of trees, waterside and skies.
Pollernarium was commissioned by Creative Barking and Dagenham, in partnership with local developer Barking Riverside Limited, with support from the Royal Horticultural Society and the University of Bristol.
It plays an important part in the initiative to showcase the area’s wildlife, including ten species of solitary and bumblebees, plus more than 40 other species of invertebrates, including wasps, beetles, flies, moths, and butterflies, all of which support pollination.
Sarah McCready, director of social infrastructure at Barking Riverside Limited, said: “We are thrilled that a new work by Luke Jerram is premiering at Emerge East, which highlights the work we are doing at Barking Riverside to enhance this distinctive natural environment.
“Designed as an inclusive family day out, Emerge East delivers an electric atmosphere where Barking Riverside’s diverse and creative spirit takes centre stage.”
Luke’s popular artworks often appear in public spaces, in cathedrals or city streets, offering everyone the opportunity to interact with them.
He said: “It’s rare to find arts organisations like Creative Barking and Dagenham willing to commission something brand new. It’s a real privilege that we’ve been able to step into the unknown of it together, and I’ve really enjoyed that creative journey.
“I would like Pollenarium to inspire people to think about the insects they rarely notice. I have been preoccupied with the hidden and overlooked for a long time in my work. We need bees and insects to pollinate our food and feed our birds.”
For more information
Visit creativebd.org.uk
