Wakehurst celebrates 25 years of Kew’s Millenium Seed Bank

Wakehurst is celebrating 25 years of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) with an exhibition of art, sculpture and sound.

Six international artists have created an installation at the site in Ardingly, West Sussex, for the Seedscapes exhibit which highlights the need for global seed conservation.

The MSB is the largest seed facility in the world and stores over 2.5 billion seeds of 40,000 different plant species.

Silvia Bacci, one of the MSB scientists who worked alongside the artists, said: “We hope that art will bridge between the seed bank and the science world and the people.”

Commissioned for this event, each artwork aims to reconnect visitors with the role of seeds in culture, science and conservation.

Brighton-based artist Adam Johnson, who created 586 hand-sculpted clay seeds for the exhibit, said: “Every seed that I’ve made is conserved here at Wakehurst.”

Mexican-Colombian artist Cristina Ochoa has created a giant replica of the Erythrina americana seed.

Visitors are invited to sit inside the sculpture and reflect on the cultural and ecological significance of the seed.

Cristina said: “It’s been a process of one year and a half from the beginning of the idea… it’s based on a seed that I’ve been working with for a while.”

With an estimated 45% of flowering plants at risk of extinction, the Kew scientists have collected seeds from plants across the world, in collaboration with over 275 partners in nearly 100 countries.

The exhibition also includes a transformation of the MSB’s exterior, by Shiraaz Ali.

Kristina Pulejkova has created seed-shaped pollinator hotels spread across the landscape.

Works from two other artists are also on display at the Seedscapes exhibition until 14 September.