BERNICE HARRISONon alternatives to movies and the mall
The turn of the season is one of the best times to visit the National Botanic Gardens, in Glasnevin. An autumn visit as the leaves in the Dublin gardens’ countless trees are turning is always worthwhile, but for the past eight years there has been another, very child-friendly reason to visit at this time of year: the Sculpture in Context exhibition.
More than 100 Irish and international sculptors have been asked to create work that responds to the surroundings, from the ponds and flower beds to the Great Palm House and Curvilinear Range, so a wander around the exhibition involves spotting extraordinary pieces in unusual places. Artists use all sorts of materials, from copper to glass, and the scale of the exhibits varies from large pieces spotted at a distance to tiny things that seem to be growing in the beds. The fun is wandering or running around the Bots to find them.
The official awards for the best sculptures have already been decided, but there’s an award for the most popular sculpture voted by the public, which will be announced at the end of the exhibition
There’s also an indoor exhibition in the gallery in the visitor centre, just inside the front gate.
Admission to the National Botanic Gardens is free. Take the 13 or 19 bus from O’Connell Street, or use the small car park. The exhibition continues until October 16th, and the gardens are open every day from 9am to 6pm.