From September 2024 - April 2025, one of the world's most celebrated contemporary glass artists, Dale Chihuly, bought his Garden Cycle exhibition to Adelaide Botanic Garden.
As visitors meandered under majestic trees and through the lush landscapes of Adelaide Botanic Garden, the Australian-first event, exclusive to Adelaide, transformed the space.
Visitors discovered the 15 vibrant, large-scale sculptures rising from waterways, suspended from trees and emerging from within lush vegetation.
Born in Tacoma, Washington, Dale Chihuly is a celebrated artist who, for more than half a century, has been creating world-class art in a range of mediums, using both new and old techniques.
His work in glass explore translucency, light and colour, creating unique organic forms that have been presented at museums, gardens and public spaces around the globe.
Find out more about Chihuly here.
Dale Chihuly and Team. The Hotshop, The Boathouse, Seattle, 1993 © 1993 Chihuly Studio. All rights reserved.
Inspired by his mother’s love of gardens and his own connection to nature, Chihuly embarked on a creative journey to develop massive architectural glass installations for display in botanic gardens.
Since 2001, Chihuly has shown these magnificent forms in cities across the USA, as well as London’s Kew Gardens and Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay.
Uniting art and nature, Chihuly’s garden exhibitions are designed to complement the environment they are placed in, delivering distinct visitor experiences wherever they are featured.
Adelaide is the first city in Australia to host a major garden exhibition by Chihuly.
A series of exciting events added to the Chihuly experience, including the blockbuster, Chihuly Nights.
Local craft studio, JamFactory, curated a series of exhibitions and provided a high-quality Chihuly retail outlet within the Garden.
Local businesses celebrated the glass artform with a trail of Chihuly-themed activations and offers through the city. From glass-inspired cocktails, to special hotel stays and bookstore displays, the city embraced glass art and the exhibition.
Two bespoke glass sculptures will remain in Adelaide Botanic Garden thanks to the generosity of donors. The Glacier Ice and Lapis Chandelier will remain in the Palm House, while the Jet and Crimson Fiori will call the Bicentennial Conservatory home.
Chihuly in the Botanic Garden was organised by the Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium in cooperation with Dale Chihuly and Chihuly Studio.
Chihuly's work is protected by copyright and copying is expressly prohibited.
