{Paradise in the Sun} Or a garden of all sorts of pleasant flowers
{Paradise in the Sun} Or a garden of all sorts of pleasant flowers* was an immersive audio experience in the kitchen garden at Chiswick House & Gardens in London. Reframing the original designation of the landscape in 1680 as a pleasure garden, this work was a mischievous invitation to visitors to connect with their surroundings through the senses.
We saw the kitchen garden as a connector, bridging not just humans with the plant-animal world, but also bridging humans with each other. One of our central aims with {Paradise in the Sun} was to offer a space of inclusion through a playful narrative experience for all local communities, especially those unfamiliar with the garden. The narrative design was inspired by members of the Heston West Big Local community group based in Hounslow, who also helped us to prototype the work.
Visitors were invited to participate in a multi sensory walking route using an audio guide. The full experience lasted approximately 20 minutes and included various sensory and performative interactions with the textures, smells, tastes, sights and sounds of the garden.
{Paradise in the Sun} Or a garden of all sorts of pleasant flowers was commissioned by Chiswick House & Gardens as part of the GrowFM programme. It was curated and produced by Yinka Danmole and Tadeo Lopez-Sendon.
It was open to the public from 19 May until 31 October 2022.
*A title kindly borrowed from the book Paradisi in Sole. Paradisus Terrestris (1629) by apothecary and botanist John Parkinson.
“I mean this in the best possible way…. It was like being on acid. A very psychedelic experience.” - Chiswick House visitor
Narrated by Bella Rix
Graphic Design by Elisa Piazzi
Soundscape mood by KMRU
Production & Fabrication by Max Payne
Photography & Videography by Gregor Petrikovič
With special thanks to
Dr. Sally Jeffery, Heston West Big Local, Taz Virdee, Layba Ali Nisar, Malaika Masood, Zobia Masood, Kapil Lund, Stephen Histed, Marcel de Rooij of Studio De Slapende Hond and all the volunteer gardeners.
Kindly supported by the Linbury Trust and Arts Council England.
