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Barbican conservatory tropical art exhibition goes on show

Barbican Art Gallery A sculpture in nature backgroundBarbican Art Gallery
Cloud songs on the horizon is the first project commissioned by the Barbican’s recently appointed head of visual arts Shanay Jhaveri

A tropical art exhibition, called Cloud Songs on the Horizon, has gone on display in the conservatory of London's Barbican.

Ranjani Shettar crafted the sculptures in her studio in rural Karnataka, India, which are intended to encourage people to explore the building.

Shettar's work is influenced by the close observation and study of the natural world and her works fill the conservatory's 23,000 sq ft space.

It is the artist's first major institutional show in Europe.

Shettar's commission is free to view, with visiting hours to the conservatory having been extended from this month.

Barbican Art Gallery Artificial flowers in nature backgroundBarbican Art Gallery
All of the sculptures can be viewed from multiple perspectives and are intended to gently persuade visitors to look at each tree, flower, leaf and plant and to appreciate their own rhythms
BBC A sculpture hanging over a pondBBC
Moving through the space, visitors will encounter sculptures nestled among the foliage or gliding above the koi pond
BBC Mini sculptures hanging from ceiling in nature backgroundBBC
The conservatory is home to a vibrant mix of 1,500 species of plants and trees from across the world

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