OF A's 'Slow Dream' brings dark botanical landscape to Chelsea Flower Show 2026

At the Chelsea Flower Show 2026, design studio OF A presents 'Slow Dream,' a dark botanical installation that appears to float within the Great Pavilion from May 19th to 23rd. The work is the second expression in the OF A GARDEN series, following 'Moon Garden' shown during Frieze Week London 2025. Founded by Ralu Emandi and Laura Lim Sam, OF A treats the garden as a sculptural body, exploring the concept of 'garden as object.' The installation features blackened forms suggesting volcanic matter and fertile soil, with dense shadow-like planting that moves away from decorative floral display toward a landscape held in suspension. Charred surfaces evoke heat and aftermath, while the planting reads as silhouette and trace. The work emphasizes spatial presence over floral display, turning planting into a material system in conversation with surface treatment and spatial composition. Instead of bright abundance, OF A works with shadow, burn marks, and mineral texture, creating an intimate and strange effect as if the garden has passed through fire. The project reflects a broader shift in design culture, positioning the garden as a cultural object and spatial proposal that holds memory and mood through material precision.