FlyTower by Ackroyd & Harvey
Earlier this month, British artists Heather Ackroyd and Dan Harvey began seeding the National Theatre's Lyttelton Flytower. Working with as many as 16 helpers, the artists schlepped two and a half tons of clay up scaffolding to be slathered across the entire surface area of the 10-story tower. Once that was done, the fun began. Rather than roll ready-made sod, each artist seeded nine square yards to cover the entire tower.
Ackroyd & Harvey have worked with grass before: In 2003, they redecorated the interior of a former church in London by covering every square inch with grass; a year later they covered a mausoleum in the Baltic state of Latvia to create a green shrink-wrapped effect. Toward the end of the exhibit's life (the piece comes down 17 June 2007), the grass will yellow and wilt as all living things some day die. “It's never easy to see a piece degrade,†Ackroyd told the London Daily Telegraph. “It's always slightly disturbing.â€
Check out National Theatre's website to watch a short documentary about the project.
