Chihuly in the Botanic Garden is the first Southern Hemisphere presentation of renown glass artist Dale Chihuly’s ‘Garden Cycle’. Since opening at Adelaide Botanic Garden in September 2024, the exhibition has welcomed more than one million visitors, surpassing initial projections of 750,000 attendees. 

The exhibition showcases 15 monumental glass sculptures strategically placed throughout the garden’s landscape. Among these, Glacier Ice and Lapis Chandelier (2024), suspended within the historic Palm House, commands attention with its intricate forms reminiscent of Medusa’s heads, casting dynamic shadows through cobalt-blue ironwork panes. Other notable installations include Ethereal Spring Persians (2022), a cluster of glass flowers floating atop a bed of waterlilies, and Cattails and Copper Birch Reeds (2024), whose fiery hues emerge strikingly from beds of native kangaroo paw. Fiori Boat (2018) presents a lavish explosion of lines and orbs hovering over a lake, inviting contemplation amidst the natural surroundings.

Chihuly, born in Tacoma, Washington, in 1941, studied under Murano glassblowers in Venice and later founded the Pilchuck School, mentoring a generation of glass artists. His work is credited with elevating glass from craft to contemporary art, pushing the medium’s boundaries in scale, colour, and form.

Chihuly in the Botanic Garden is on view through 29 April 2025, offering a curated two-kilometer trail that seamlessly integrates art with nature, inviting viewers to explore the interplay between Chihuly’s luminous sculptures and the garden’s diverse flora.