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Jersey Zoo is in full bloom this year, not only with the natural flora in the animal environments, but with a stunning installation made up of thousands of 3D printed flowers. The installation, fittingly called BLOOM, is in the zoo’s Les Augrès Manor and was created by artist Stuart Semple in an homage to British conservationist and writer Gerald Durrell, who founded the zoo in 1959.
Semple and the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust teamed up for the project in celebration of what would be Durrell’s 100th birthday year. Durrell, who authored the popular book My Family and Other Animals dedicated his life to animals and the environment. Notably, he was a pioneer of zoo-led conservation, who founded Jersey Zoo with the concise goal of “saving species from extinction”. The installation by Semple is an homage to Durrell’s legacy, presenting a colorful artificial field of flowers that Jersey Zoo visitors can admire, both in the light of day and at night, when the flowers actually glow in the dark.
The installation itself consists of 5,000 3D printed flowers, which are “planted” in a space of 7 x 7 meters. Semple, an artist whose work is focused on accessibility and ecology, designed the series of flowers based on Durrell’s favorite species (chrysanthemums, freesias, roses, scarlet pimpernel, crocuses and pink magnolias). Hundreds of each of these flowers was then 3D printed using a photopolymerization technology and a bio-based resin derived from plant fibres and castor oil. The printed blooms were ultimately hand-painted in a range of colors using Semple’s proprietary Lit pigment, which absorbs sunlight and glows in the dark.
”Ever since I visited Jersey Zoo as an eight-year-old child, it’s had a place in my heart,” said artist Stuart Semple. “This project means the world to me, because now more than ever, Gerry’s philosophy and his conservation ethics are vital to the planet.”
Lee Durrell, who was married to Gerald and is Honorary Director of the trust, said: “The flowers in BLOOM are some of Gerry’s favorites, and I know he would’ve loved to see the colorful meadow pop up in the courtyard of his cherished Les Augrès Manor.”
While the BLOOM 3D printed flower installation is eye-catching and beautiful to look at, there is also another component to the project aimed at furthering Durrell’s lifelong conservation mission. That is, each of the flower sculptures is actually available for purchase, and all proceeds are going to the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust to help save endangered species from extinction. For visitors that do purchase a flower, it will be sent to them after the installation ends on September 30, 2025. An individual flower is £25, while a bouquet is £150.
You can find more stories on how 3D printing is being used for sustainable ends here.