Springing spectacularly to life tomorrow, 27 September 2024 by day and night over three seasons until 29 April 2025, the Adelaide-exclusive, Australian-first Chihuly in the Botanic Garden exhibition will include two brand-new artworks by the world’s most celebrated contemporary artist, Dale Chihuly, among an astounding collection of 15 large-scale hand-blown glass art installations. This highly anticipated exhibition opens with a range of both free and ticketed events.
Created specifically for their unique South Australian setting, Glacier Ice and Lapis Chandelier (2024) andJet and Crimson Fiori (2024)are the two Adelaide-exclusive artworks premiering alongside other installations that have appeared at major Chihuly garden and museum exhibitions around the globe.
South Australian Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison said: “For the first major outdoor showcase of Dale Chihuly’s work in Australia and the wider southern hemisphere, you couldn’t pick a more magnificent natural setting to stage it in or a more magical time of the year in South Australia to launch.
“Spring in Adelaide Botanic Garden is glorious and, as the days grow longer and warmer, and the seasons change, audiences Australia-wide will have reason to keep returning to our vibrant capital city to experience these incredible creations in entirely new ways.”
Daytime visitors to Adelaide Botanic Garden can discover the delights of the entire outdoor Chihuly exhibition for free through the Garden Experience, a curated 2km trail where works appear within lush garden beds, ascend from waterways, and weave through iconic tree-lined avenues.
Of the two Chihuly works premiering in Adelaide, the Glacier Ice and Lapis Chandelier will be seen in the beautiful heritage Palm House Conservatory. The Chandelier’s multiple hand-blown glass forms are mounted to a hanging steel armature, and demonstrates Chihuly’s desire to control colour, light, transparency, and form on a grand scale, and to create works in dialogue with their settings.
In addition to the free outdoor trail, there are ticketed opportunities to take a deeper dive into the mind and motivations of the man behind the masterpieces, and to experience Chihuly’s delicate yet daring works in a dynamic after-dark setting.
Housed within the Bicentennial Conservatory’s beautiful rainforest setting, the accompanying In Full Colour: Dale Chihuly exhibition is an intimate showcase of the artist’s works alongside compelling insights into his life and the complexities of creating and touring such fragile and often epically proportioned works. Here, visitors will also see the newly created Jet and Crimson Fiori, which demonstrates the artist’s love for organic, free-flowing forms that evoke the natural world. This piece specifically references the vivid colours of the Sturt Desert Pea, South Australia’s state flower.
Chihuly Nights is an unmissable all-access pass to the complete Chihuly experience. After witnessing the colorful artworks transform under a setting sun and be reimagined under dramatic nocturnal lighting, the In Full Colour exhibition can be enjoyed before or after fueling up onsite, with venues to suit all tastes and budgets.
For a locally sourced, garden-inspired treat by Evergreen Deli, enjoyed with a tipple from Bird in Hand or Prohibition Liquor Co, and served to a live music soundtrack, pop into Chihuly Central, aka the Schomburgk Pavilion. For high-end dining, book a spot at the award-winning Restaurant Botanic and settle in for an artisanal four-hour feast for the senses, or visit its easygoing neighbour, Botanic Lodge, for a more casual celebration of South Australian produce.
Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium Director Michael Harvey said: “As well as a place to lose yourself in nature, Adelaide Botanic Garden is now very much part of the city’s cultural scene. We’re thrilled to have been chosen by Chihuly to host this Australia-first exhibition and have audiences from near and far experience our glorious grounds by day and night, alongside these exquisite artistic expressions of the natural world.”
Accompanying the Chihuly exhibitions through spring is Wednesday Wonders — a ticketed series of live music performances and spellbinding science evening events in the Noel Lothian Hall. From toe-tapping cabaret to soaring operatic arias and jazz violin, October’s Music Series promises sonic delights under a night sky. Those intrigued by tomorrow’s world can discover how glass is being used in incredible ways — from heart health diagnostics to sustainability — at November’s fascinating Science Talks, presented in partnership with the University of Adelaide.
Adding another dimension to the Chihuly program is JamFactory. Throughout the Chihuly in the Botanic Garden season, JamFactory will present a series of exhibitions featuring work by renowned Australian glass artists.
JamFactory will also present the Chihuly in the Botanic Garden retail outlet. Situated onsite within Adelaide Botanic Garden’s Museum of Economic Botany, a range of Chihuly merchandise, available for the first time in Australia. JamFactory also presents a selection of Chihuly’s limited edition glass artworks and prints for the contemporary art collector.
The next seven months will be a special time for South Australians and visitors to Adelaide from across Australia and overseas, as Chihuly in the Botanic Garden opens the way to exploring and experiencing a treasured natural attraction in endless new ways.
