London has more galleries and art spaces than I’ve had hot dinners. New exhibition territories crop up on a seemingly regular basis, from the smart addresses in Mayfair to the warehouse lofts of the East End. But none have been more fantasy fulfilling than Regent Park’s new Treehouse Gallery, based down by the banks of the Boating Lake and acting as a hub for some inspiring and ethically sound creativity throughout July and August, in the form of workshops, talks, events, performances and events. Such attractions will include flower clocks and floating gardens; a walk in camera obscura; weaving and basketry classes; live painting and shadow puppetry; a solar powered tea station; a medicine garden; a delicious tree-flavoured ice cream parlour; recycled puppetry and shadow play; tree-top dancing and live instrument installations.
Photo by Henry Adams
Self sufficient, self funded and carefully designed to work in harmony with it’s surroundings, the site is as environmentally thumbs up as it gets. The groups involved in the project are predominantly concerned with promoting a respect for the natural environment and with accordance with The Royal Park’s Tree Officer and the RoSPA, they have ensured that the venture leaves no damage in it’s wake once it is disassembled in September. The trees supporting the ‘rooms’ are specifically selected for their durability and strength; even the time of year has been considered carefully for minimal wildlife disruption. Independent organisations participating include HighLife TreeHouses, specialists in tree house design; Monkey-Do, tree-climbing and rigging experts; BASH, nature sensitive events organisors; Arcadiam Associates, structural engineers; Bosky Trees, arboricultural and ecology experts; Ob:Lab, social networking through suspended structures and the Area10 project space. There is an established charity presence too, with the gallery collaborating with a range of well-known charities such as D-Art (Shape), St Mungos and School Friend Etc. Artists and organisations including the likes of Space Studios, Temporary School of Thought, Bicycology, The House of Fairytales and The School of Everything will punctuate the site with evolving and spontaneous curatorial programmes.
Photograph by Joseph Bloor
The structures are predominantly built from naturally sourced materials and reclaimed city waste. All timber and building materials are being donated to the project and are guaranteed lightweight, un-pressure treated and free from chemicals that corrupt the soil. The gallery will be fuelled by onsite renewable energy and transport will be kept to a minimum, where possible taking the form of bicycle and other alternative modes of transportation. Furthermore marketing materials and waste produced on site are being reused through specific art workshops and installations that reinvent the discarded. grass roots city dwelling initiatives, willow weaving, carpentry, protest site techniques, contemporary construction practices, tree netting and creative methods of re-using; a reflection of the various alternative narratives that inform our cultural resources and practices.
Photo by Sarah Bush
The brains behind the collaboration are Claudia Moseley and Steph Smith, who between them have experience in revamping dis-used spaces, tree protesting and woodland protection, light installations and projects with DA! and The Temporary School of Thought. They name their inspirations to be an ‘ongoing dialogue with nature and experiences of innovation’, which rings true for and has attracted the support and skills of emerging as well as established artists, crafty folk, activists, specialists in architecture and permaculture to mention a few. Additional participators and co-conspirators include Sarah Bush and Anshu Asthana, who work under the name ‘The Art is in the Tea’ producing delicious elderflower champagne and nettle ale. Others include Theo Brown, Franni Donnohoe, Will Lasslett, Jude Lamb, Kieran Metcalf, Edward Shuster, Mike Shuster, Oliver Shuster, and Miriam Waltz.
‘Franni Donnohoe and the Birds’ Photo by Sarah Bush
The main viewing platform is a trio of ‘growths’ nestled high up in a triangular series of trees. Bridges and walkways link these pods, which have been especially created by architects Henry Adams and Oliver Ogilvie. Consideration for the less able bodied as well as those who are auditorily and visually impaired has remain a top priority for the designers, and the activities have been planned with their needs in mind. The Budding Hub Gallery is the epicentre of the goings on, resembling a germinating bulb and built from donated end-of-season hazel and willow wood. Next up is the Box Galleries, stacked cube-shaped spaces which can be explored via a network of staircases. Netted walkways lead off these exhibits to playful hanging pods and the more contemplative Spherical Reading Gallery, which as the name might suggest is a ‘circular space that houses hundreds of bark bound books’ which rather smartly form ‘part of the inverted trunk’ when slotted back into the shelf. Titles covering all kinds of topics from ways to living, alternate worlds, philosphies and mythologies can be found here and are unique to the project.
‘The Art is in the Tea’ Photo by Sarah Bush
There is a strong social element to the initiative. What is clever about the whole concept is that while aesthetically The TreeHouse Gallery will be a piece of art in it’s own right, the space will also become a metaphor for the collective learning and growing of it’s visitors and contributors. The project aims to act as a type of socially cohesive glue, bringing together and joining up sections of society and community that wouldn’t ordinarily cross paths. As way of a manifesto the Treehouse Gallery state “The project will embrace socially inclusive art practices and a wide reaching approach to community engagement; highlighting social and cultural diversity and varied access needs.”
Like all good things that must come to an end, the Treehouse Gallery has a shelf life and will be reinvented and recycled come the end of August. So I urge to go and catch this collaboration while you can, for such well principled and innovatively executed projects are few and far between.
Gallery opening times: 10am – 4pm Weekdays
10am – 8pm Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays
Tags:
Environmental Art, London, Regent's Park, Treehouse Gallery
