Seedscapes: Wakehurst unveils summer art programme to mark 25 Years of the Millennium Seed Bank
4 July – 14 September 2025
Release date: 24 March 2025
- Six international artists to create seed-inspired bespoke artworks at Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex
- Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, now entering its 25th year, is the inspiration behind Seedscapes. The Millennium Seed Bank is the largest, most diverse wild plant species genetic resource in the world
- Artworks include ceramic sculptures, soundscapes, large-scale installations and augmented reality, all targeted to inspire and inform visitors on the incredible world of seeds
This summer, Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex, will present Seedscapes, an immersive arts programme celebrating the pioneering seed science that happens at the Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) at Wakehurst, now in its 25th year. Seedscapes will transform Wakehurst’s landscapes with installations by six artists, who have created art to explore the world of seeds and the vital role they play in our lives.
Featuring new, bespoke commissioned artwork from both local and international artists that feature ceramic sculptures, woven materials, soundscapes and augmented reality art, Seedscapes will take visitors on a multi-sensory journey will highlight global seed conservation, biodiversity and resilience. The artists working with Wakehurst are Brighton-based Adam Ceramic, Kristina Pulejkova, Cristina Ochoa from Mexico, Shiraaz Ali, Australian James Tapscott, and Ed Carter. Kew Scientists have worked with the artists directly as consultants to bring the science to life.
2025 marks 25 years of Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, its global partnerships and the world leading seed science that takes place in Wakehurst every day. From its humble beginnings in the Wakehurst Mansion chapel, to the building of the current Seed Bank in 2000, over 2.5 billion seeds from more than 40,000 wild plant species have been banked at the MSB, and Kew Scientists are using the collections for restoration, to help local communities, and to secure the future health of the planet. The Millennium Seed Bank works with over 275 partners in nearly 100 countries and territories globally to share best seed practice worldwide.
On being inspired by the world of the Millennium Seed Bank, Adam Ceramic said: “My sculptures will allow visitors to discover the seeds in the Wakehurst landscape, inviting them to go on their own seed adventure—just like the scientists who collected the seeds for the MSB. I want to highlight that the MSB is a global partnership and emphasise the urgency of seed conservation”.
Composer Ed Carter, whose soundscape work will be featured in Coates Wood amid Wakehurst’s National Collection of Nothofagus (southern beech) trees, said “the Wakehurst landscape was central to the development of the piece. The location is surrounded by an arc of Chilean Nothofagus trees, with views of stunning Monkey Puzzle trees - the national tree of Chile. The Wakehurst landscape is a fundamental part of the narrative.”
Wakehurst Ambassador Cate Blanchett said of the Millennium Seed Bank: ’I find the work done here to be utterly inspiring, and a genuine insurance policy against extinction of wild flora and fauna. The Millennium Seed Bank is a beacon of hope and international cooperation at a time when we’ve never needed it more.”
Director of Wakehurst, Susan Raikes, said: “Seedscapes is an exciting opportunity to experience the world of seeds through a new lens. It will make the incredible science happening every day at the Millennium Seed Bank and through Nature Unlocked – where scientists use Wakehurst’s landscapes as a living laboratory - accessible to visitors of all ages. Seedscapes will transform our landscapes with powerful, immersive artworks that tell the vital stories of seeds.”
Artists and Installations
- Brighton-based Adam Ceramic will create over 500 handcrafted clay seed sculptures, representing species banked in the MSB and found in Wakehurst’s landscape, including the pre-historic Wollemi Pine.
- Kristina Pulejkova is creating wooden seed sculptures that double as pollinator hotels, inspired by the trees that Wakehurst research has proven to be most popular with bees and other pollinators in the gardens. Developed in collaboration with Kew’s Nature Unlocked programme, these interactive sculptures will support ongoing scientific research, which visitors can learn more about through Augmented Reality embedded in the structures.
- Ed Carter, an Ivor Novello-nominated composer, has produced a musical composition inspired by recalcitrant seeds from Chile. Using MSB data as a compositional tool, the piece will reflect the survival journey of these seeds through traditional Chilean instruments.
- Mexican-Colombian artist Cristina Ochoa will construct a giant replica of the Erythrina Americana seed, inviting visitors to sit inside the sculpture and reflect on the cultural and ecological significance of seeds.
- Australian artist James Tapscott will create an immersive installation inspired by the Silver Birch (Betula) seed, using light, shadow, and space to symbolise the seed’s journey.
- Shiraaz Ali will transform the Millennium Seed Bank’s exterior with vibrant artwork that will bring the pioneering science and global partnerships of the past 25 years to life outside the building.
Seedscapes runs from 4 July – 14 September 2025 at Wakehurst and access to all the art installations is included in your ticket and entry to the gardens.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Adam Ceramic was a finalist on Channel 4’s The Great Pottery Throw Down, and has created ceramics for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. He was recently named one of Attitude Magazine’s 101 Trailblazers.
Kristina Pulejkova is a visual artist based in London, who marries immersive storytelling and technology to bridge the relationship between humans and nature. Pulejkova visited the MSB in 2013 whilst studying and was inspired by the many ways the MSB is preserving the future of plants.
Ed Carter is a UK-based Ivor Novello-nominated composer, sound artist, and interdisciplinary practitioner. He creates works that encourage audiences to explore contemporary social themes that are related to their environment.
Cristina Ochoa is a Mexican-Colombian multidisciplinary artist who became inspired by the world of seeds and botany after working on an art project with the Quindio University of Colombia where students buried seeds underground.
James Tapscott is a contemporary land artist based in Australia, primarily working outdoors and in remote locations. Tapscott’s work is always bespoke to its location: “The site determines the idea, the idea then determines the materials and methodology.”
Shiraaz Ali is an architecture graduate and a public realm artist who prioritises sustainability and brings an eco-centric focus to his work. Ali’s biggest inspiration is nature, and he says: “Through my artwork and architectural practice I aim to respect, enhance and pay gratitude to our environment”.
About Wakehurst
Wakehurst is Kew’s wild botanic garden in the Sussex High Weald. Its ancient and beautiful landscapes span 535 acres and are a place for escape, exploration, tranquillity, and wonder. Its diverse collection of plants from Britain and around the globe thrive within a tapestry of innovative gardens, temperate woodlands, meadows, and wetlands. Wakehurst is a centre for UK biodiversity and global conservation, seed research and ecosystem science. At its heart is Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank, the world’s largest store of seeds from wild plant species.
RBG Kew receives approximately one third of its funding from Government through the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and research councils. Further funding needed to support RBG Kew’s vital work comes from donors, membership and commercial activity including ticket sales. In the first six months since implementing a new accessibility scheme for those in receipt of Universal Credit, Pension Credit and Legacy Benefits, Kew has welcomed over 100,000 visitors with £1 tickets.
2025 marks 60 years since Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew took over the management of Wakehurst from the National Trust, and we now work in partnership with the National Trust to care for our collections and heritage areas. Please note that Wakehurst is referred to just as Wakehurst, not Wakehurst Place. It is not a National Trust property.
At the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, we’re dedicated to harnessing the power of plants and fungi to end the extinction crisis and secure a future for all life on Earth. With our world-leading research, global partnerships and beloved gardens – home to the world’s most diverse collections of plants and fungi – we’re using our trusted voice to shape policy and practice worldwide. As a charity we rely on the critical support of our visitors, not only to sustain the gardens, but to protect global plant and fungal biodiversity for the benefit of our planet and humanity.