Ten thousand ceramic daffodils have sprung up in the courtyard of London’s historic Somerset House. The work of London-based Chilean artist Fernando Casasempere, Out of Sync creates a simultaneously beautiful yet jarring installation. While springing up at the same time as their sunny natural counterparts, these clay-and-iron daffodils work against nature, hardened and without movement, lithe only in form. The lush turf laid over the courtyard initially beckons viewers–a respite in the middle of the city–yet ultimately denies entry with its forbidding ‘Keep Off The Grass’ signs. Similarly, the flowers, industrial yet handcrafted, belie their true nature.
Out of Sync is on view until April 27 when it will move on to Chile to the Plaza de la Ciudadanía in Santiago and then to Antofagasta.
