Watergate Bay has become a temporary canvas for original work which the sea will swallow, raising awareness about the vulnerability and fragility of ecosystems.
Created by the sand art collective Sand In Your Eye, the new work kicks off the Eden Project’s 2025 summer season, Enchanted Earth, which incorporates theatre, interactive exploration classes and hands on discovery sessions aimed at children and adults alike. The programme runs until 7th September.
‘The Eden Project is inspirational in its positive and immersive outlook on nature and the challenges we face,’ said Jamie Wardley, Artistic Director at Sand In Your Eye. ‘So much so that it has influenced our own work and we have visited with our family a number of times. We are delighted to be making some beach art together.’
Warming coastal waters provide a vivid backdrop top the installation, with sightings of humpback whales, Iberian orca, and booming octopus populations in the seas around Cornwall all thought to be a result of hotter marine temperatures. Driven by rapid climate change, the summer-long ecological learning and creative showcase looks to emphasise how quickly ecosystems, habitats and species can disappear due to the worsening environmental crisis.
‘It’s been completely magical to kick off our summer programme with this incredible piece of art, which wasn’t here for long but made a big impact,’ said Kate Francis, Live Producer at Eden Project. ‘Today’s sand art is just a flavour of the surprises in store at Enchanted Earth this summer, which features a whole roster of inspiring activities for people of all ages to discover. Conceived to conjure up captivating magical features seen in the natural world, Enchanted Earth creates an unmissable immersive experience that anyone visiting Cornwall this summer should put on their bucket list.’
Image: Eden Project
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