The Hendrik Tollens Secret Garden

The Secret Garden installation was installed in the Tollens Huis part of Museum Rijswijk mirroring the trees outside in the garden. An indigo trellis of vines, flowers and leaves hang down from the ceiling greeting visitors to explore. All made in denim from Cone Denim, the vines are ‘washed’ and laser cut with Tonello in Italy. First installed in the Children’s Museum of the Arts in New York in 2017 it has since evolved to show in France, London, Basel, San Francisco and Kentucky - you can see some of the other here. Hand cut and crafted flowers are formed out of only recycled jeans to make a much talked about art installation and admired textile immersive experience.

Juxtaposed next to the Hotel California body of work it brings a bright element into the museum with the natural light coming from the original windows of the beautiful home of famed poet Hendrik Tollens. Originally depicted to portray a community garden in New York and to educate children about nature - Ian showing a cotton plant and explaining that he transformed the material that is made from plants, cotton, back into plants, flowers and wisteria all made from recycled denim jeans. The installation evolved and built on the sustainability idea, portraying nature made of all denim. The process of making becoming as much of the message, using Tonello in Italy to wash, with little water, and laser - many of the new techniques the industry are using to try and be more sustainable. Using Cone Denim who are part of the Trust Cotton Protocol and offer forensic verification of cotton traceability through their partnership with Oritain.