"London Fieldworks' Spontaneous City in the Tree of Heaven is a sculptural installation drawing on the ecology and biodiversity of two sites on opposite sides of London: Duncan Terrace Gardens in the East, and Cremorne Gardens in the shadow of World's End estate in the West. The installations are constructed from several hundred bespoke bird boxes mounted in two trees of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) and reflect the forms of the surrounding architecture; a combination of Georgian town houses, and 60's social housing around Duncan Terrace Gardens, and the World's End Estate adjacent to Cremorne Gardens. Spontaneous City in the Tree of Heaven has developed out of a recent London Fieldworks project, Super Kingdom, commissioned by Stour Valley Arts for Kings Wood in Kent, where 'show homes' for animals were constructed based on the architecture of despot's palaces.
The Spontaneous Cities are temporary interventions in the trees reflecting the local architecture, a metaphorical interplay between the condition of the animal and the human. As well as being open to occupation by urban birds and insects, Spontaneous City can also be read as an allegory of population crash and dwindling biodiversity.
The installations were commissioned for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Islington Council by Up Projects as part of their Secret Garden Project ; a new programme of artists commissions and events for secret gardens, lesser known green spaces, and urban corners across London."
