In the 1830s, East London doctor and amateur naturalist Dr Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward invented a sealed glass case, an ecosphere in which plants could survive heavily polluted air. The Wardian case was soon being used for the transport of plants by sea around the world. From garden plants such as jasmine and rhododendrons to cash crops like bananas and tea, this simple invention transformed global economies and environments and shaped the world we live in. Transports of Delight, explores the impact of this simple but world changing invention which links themes of colonialism, environment and the collection and display of plants associated with broader historical narratives. – Edward Chell, Curator

Participating Artists: Anna Barriball, Daphne Wright, David Cotterrell, Edward Chell, Gerard Ortín Castellv, Günther Herbst, Harun Morrison, Helen Maurer, Joseph Banks, Joy Gregory, Laure Prouvost, Lee Maelzer, Leelou Gordon-Fox, Maria Thereza Alves, Mariele Neudecker, Nick Laessing, Nils Norman, Owen Griffiths, Peter Hofer, Pia Östlund, Rosa Nguyen, Stephen Lee and Uriel Orlow.