The Pine Sensorium
Kew Gardens, London
Installation
1/1
The pine tree is the source of all our inspiration and materials - its shape, look, feel, smell, and healing properties, and we show its possibilities and versatility with a resourceful ‘nose-to-tail’ approach. The journey you are taking is through a labyrinth, one of the oldest tools of contemplation, to enable a collective pilgrimage which everyone can experience in their own intensely personal way. Underfoot, a lush carpet of pine needles gives the sensation of walking on a softly sprung forest floor. A lightweight canopy wrapped in pine-needle felt dampens the sound. Evoking the verticality of a pine forest, thousands of strings dapple the light and define the single path. These act as scent diffusers, with essential pine oils – known for their ability to relieve stress – drawn upwards through capillary action. At the centre sits a simple pine bench that encourages you to sit and enjoy a reflective moment with the tree, before it’s time to make your way back out into the world.
215 Secchismith Szczepaniak Kew View 1 220204 Finalhr V2