Audio Guide
Gardens by the Bay's new outdoor garden attraction, Serene Garden, is a unique horticultural garden inspired by the minimalist concept of Japanese zen gardens. A tranquil 2-hectare space located just a stone’s throw from The Meadow, visitors can get a brief respite from the hustle and bustle of the city life as they enjoy an intimate encounter with nature.
Originating during his experimentation in Nuutajärvi, Finland, and later to be revisited by Chihuly, Reeds are among the most dramatic blown glass forms. Creating each tubular shaped reed is just as dramatic, requiring one glassblower to stand elevated in a mechanical lift while blowing through the pipe to encourage the form to stretch, while another pulls the glass towards the ground. Located throughout the exhibition at the Serene Garden and Flower Dome are installations comprising varied examples of this unique form, from rich reds, rare mineral neodymium, and turquoise, to black and white, all made during different glassblowing sessions in Finland.
The Herons are a form that came from Chihuly's experimentation with blowing different shapes and using new techniques in Finland. Following the Reeds series, he continued to push his team to try new styles with the elongated tube form. After many days, they made pieces that looked to them like herons, which are the wading birds commonly found along Florida's shorelines and lakes. Chihuly's work is often inspired by the natural world where the Black & Green Striped Herons and Green Grass, and the Yellow Herons are two installations that showcase this relationship.
In the Serene Garden, the Ethereal White Persians seem to hover gracefully over the water. First exhibited in 1986, as part of his exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Palais du Louvre in Paris, Chihuly’s Persian series is a celebration of form, scale, and colour. Originally presented on pedestals, the series’ dramatic compositions have evolved to include installations mounted on walls, overhead on ceilings, and assembled in the form of chandeliers and towers. For Chihuly, Persians evoke an ancient sensibility and conjure notions of Venice, and the Near and Far East.
Chihuly’s initial phase of extensive experimentation with Chandeliers culminated in the Chihuly Over Venice Project (1995-96). Subsequent projects continued to challenge the artist to create large sculptures for spaces without ceilings or where the ceiling could not bear the weight of Chandeliers, giving life to the development of the Tower series. The free standing towers exude unique personas, depending on their setting. The Serene Garden is home to the snowy-white Palazzo Ducale Tower, standing as a beacon of icy light, amidst the greenery of this rare garden.
