Swing in a Box was a site-specific artwork created while I was at university for the Holburne Museum. Historically, the museum was not the destination it is today, but a grand architectural frontage to the Georgian pleasure grounds behind it — now known as Sydney Gardens. These gardens once hosted a wide range of attractions, including large two-person swings designed for adults.

The work responded to how this relationship had shifted over time. The museum had become the focus, while the gardens — rich in social and cultural history — were comparatively overlooked. Swing in a Box explored the idea that you don’t miss something until it’s gone.

The gardens were completely screened from view. Visitors could only glimpse them by entering a narrow corridor and climbing onto a swing enclosed within a box. As they swung higher, fleeting views of the gardens appeared momentarily over the top edge — brief, tantalising flashes of a hidden landscape.

By making access to the gardens partial, physical, and playful, the piece aimed to draw attention back to their forgotten significance, quietly advocating for renewed care and investment. Since then, it’s been rewarding to see parts of Sydney Gardens restored — a small but meaningful echo of the work’s original intent.