The movie - a rough cut

Heavy Plant Crossing - the movie

At last the Heavy Plant Crossing - the movie is on line. Enjoy! Let us know what you think.



In under 5 minutes the film encapsulates the process from finding and reclaiming objects to assemble a mechanical plant, which is  hybridized by its keeper as she tows it through the streets and parks of London to RHS Chelsea in their attempt to win Best Plant in Show with a finale propagation party at Worlds End Kitchen Garden.


Once you have seen it on line you may want to venture to the Garden of Disorientation to see it projected onto on the walls of the City, before the Chelsea Fringe Festival ends on the 9th May.

Artists on the move

While the plant is safely bedded out in the Garden of Disorientation I returned north to catch up on preparing sculptures for the 'Expressions of Movement' art exhibition at The Grove, Hertfordshire and heard about a Nomadic Village of international artist's that had set up an encampment to make art  in the small rural village of  Wolsingham, Co Durham.  The project is run by Klaus Maehring (Lead Artist and founder) from ORP/Austria and is supported by ISIS Arts

The encampment comprised of a collection of artists caravans, tents, shelters, recycled fibre glass containers, nestled along the bank of the wooded beck running through the village with doors wide open, artists freely invited you in to view their spaces of work & travel, containing, films, installations, performances all touching on ideas surrounding nomadism . 

Using this beautiful location as inspiration, material, stage,  seemed to me extoll the excitement of journeying to new places to meet and engage with new people.









This is excitement is a feeling I recognise from my recent journey with my Heavy Plant and which I am now reflecting and  wondering how where we might go now. I certainly feel that my journey through the parks and streets of Kensington & Chelsea is only the beginning of a much larger journey which I am beginning.

Transplanting update

Polymorphus mutabils 'Mistral' is now bedding-in well at the Garden of Disorientation, at 61 Charterhouse St EC1, opposite Smithfield Market, surrounded by Mentha  spitica.

Heavy Plant Crossing will be on exhibition here until the 5th May after which it will return to the studio for further modifications  and development with further trials ready for its next quest.

Garden of Disorientation Open from 11am-6pm daily; late opening til 10pm on the 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 30, 31 May and 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9 June

Transplanting to the City - 26th May

Heavy Plant Crossing will be transplanted on Saturday 26th May to the Garden of Disorientation at 1pm. Reconstruction will begin from 1.30pm, help is needed as it is a very 'Heavy Plant'!



You are welcome to help follow the flat pack instructions, check the measurements, bolt together, check the levels, attach flower heads and stand back and appraise.

The Garden of Disorientation  is a fragrant  internal pop up garden venue  hosting many artists work and events over the Chelsea Fringe Festival. The space  has been designed by Deborah Nagan of  Uncommonland

A list of the events happening  here and work being shown is available at the Chelsea Fringe website.

The first screening of the Heavy Plant Crossing short digital 'buddy film', will play from 6.15pm -7.15pm on a loop on Saturday 26th May..

The film will be played daily until the 9th June along with landscape images of Allan-Pollock Morris projected onto the wall of Smithfield. 


Venue is open 11am-9pm

Reactions on the Streets

Smiles & amusement - exclaiming to friends over the phone what they were seeing

Cordial banter - often beginning with:

'What is it?'

'Does it generate electricity?'

'Is it art?'

'Its crazy....I love it?'

'What drugs are you on?'

Questions which offered fantastic starting points to  discuss the event, the plants construction, the quest to win Best in Show at RHS Chelsea, to discuss reclaiming and recycling  objects.

Interaction:

Children seemed naturally drawn to the plant encouraged to explore the flower heads, they were keen to touch the plant soon discovering which they could spin, move and carry along side us when trundling along.

They loved working out what the objects making the flower heads had been and what I could possibly make next.

Captured stills - Sunday 20th May

The images below are from the video footage taken over the first two days of the journey. A short 'buddy film' is being edited, and will be screened daily at the Garden of Disorientation

venue from  the evening of Saturday 26th to the 9th June. 

Be sure to ask to see it if its not on!

Motoring by Imperial College

Naming frenzy

Humorous names proposed

Passing the Science Museum   

Having a chat in the Chelsea Physic Garden

Out for an evening stroll in between the showers

After a long day in the studio checking over and reconfiguring the plants flower heads, I decided to chance the showers and head up the hill for our third road test.

 

















My thinking being that if the plant and I can make it up such a steep hill on a rough single track road, we will be fine along the smooth and relatively flat footpaths of the capital.

The road test went well, the plant towing smoothly and keeping stable even when having to pull over into the grass verge to let bemused cars and tractors pass by. Phew!

Rotating Flowerheads - winning feature ?

A recent development in the plants evolution has been the configuring of flower heads that rotate in the wind, inspired by fans from car radiators and office fans.To do this I have devised a simple loose shaft and split pin system to connect the reclaimed fan elements to the plant stems. 

After a walk with the plant in a stiff breeze where the larger bi-coloured flower head hurtled round behind me, I am confident this dynamic cultural detail will impress the judges.

 

















Who knows if a breeze picks up at Chelsea next week the rotating flower heads could clinch the ‘Plant of the Year' trophy!

Project Event

A box will arrive in London with its maker and keeper. The keeper will open the box and construct a mechanical plant on wheels to travel through the streets and parks of Kensington and Chelsea. The keeper will constantly appraise and make impromptu stops to adjust the plant.

Hybridization performances will take place in parks, streets and in gardens at scheduled places and times. The keeper will re configure particular elements of the plant, changing its form each time.


The aim is to perfect the plant and reach the RHS show to win ‘Best Plant in Show’ category.