During our tour of the Beyond Limits exhibition at Chatsworth, we spotted this large cube of granite standing on the lawn where one of the exhibits had been located during Beyond Limits 2016, but it wasn’t included in the list of this year’s exhibits.
We wandered over and took a closer look. We noticed a number of holes drilled into the granite and peeked though them, revealing something of a surprise
a hidden garden inside the cube!
Reading the accompanying information panel and discovered that this was a work that had originally been exhibited at the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower show last year. It was designed by Martin Cook and Gary Breeze .
It had been included in the inaugural RHS Chatsworth House Flower Show in June this year and was still on display
Gary Breeze’s website tells us
Antithesis of Sarcophagi represents a world turned inside out; a garden inside a sculpture; desolation versus life; civilisation versus nature. A forty-four tonne rough granite cube, one face painted with a mysterious inscription, contains a rejuvenating woodland; only visible from the stark, ash-charred exterior through small fissures in its surface.
The planting was done with great sensitivity and precision by 7 times RHS medal winner Chris Holland.
A fascinating work that’s up for sale – “price on application”. Don’t think I can afford it though!
Down by the Dougie 