Wednesday 9 July 2008, 10.00–18.30

Martha Schwartz states that "a landscape can be about anything" which not only makes clear the importance of the designer but also rejects the primary importance of nature.

In this one day conference, organised in association with the Society of Garden Designers, practitioners will explain the rationale behind their work, the processes by which they design and will analyse the ways in which the central idea of the garden, traditionally inspired by planting and aesthetic appeal, is now inspired by history, ecology, and the concept.

Programme

10.00 - 10.10             

Welcome and introduction: Victoria Walsh, Head of Adult Programmes, Tate Britain, and Peter Thomas, Chair, Society of Garden Designers

10.10 - 10.40             

Tim Richardson: 'A Landscape Can be About Anything’: an introduction to conceptualism

10.40 - 11.25             

Monika Gora: Inventing Places and Exploring by Doing

11.25 - 11.55

Coffee break

11.55 - 12.40

Kate Cullity and Kevin Taylor: Telling stories; Inspiration from Art, Science and Landscape

12.40 - 12.50 

Questions and discussion

12.50 - 14.00 

Lunch (not included)

14.00 - 14.20

Tim Richardson: Conceptualism as a Riposte to Eco-Platitudinising

14.20 - 15.05

Andy Cao and Xavier Perrot: A Place for Dreaming - the beauty of imperfection

15.05 - 15.50

Claude Cormier: Artificial … Not Fake

15.50 - 16.20

Tea break

16.20 - 17.05

Eelco Hooftman: The Art of the Artefact or the Cult of the Cultivar

17.05 - 17.40

Summing up & Questions chaired by Tim Richardson

17.40 - 17.45

Concluding remarks: Peter Thomas, Chair, SGD

17.45 - 18.45

Drinks reception, Clore foyer

Regretfully, Stig Andersson of SLA, Copenhagen, is unable to participate in the symposium due to ill health.

Tate Britain  Auditorium
£35 (£25 concessions), booking required
Price includes drinks afterwards