Pollenarium at Emerge East

Date:
12th September 2026

Time:
11:00 - 21:00

Event Type:
Art Installation

Suitable for:
Adults, Children, Everyone, Families, Older Adults, Young People

Location:
Barking Riverside

Price:
Free

Creative Barking and Dagenham is presenting the world premiere of a major new artwork on Saturday 12 September at Emerge East. We commissioned world-renowned artist Luke Jerram to make a new artwork inspired by the special ecology of Barking Riverside, and in response, he has created Pollenarium, a giant immersive pollen grain that gives us a special bee’s eye view of the natural landscape.

Luke Jerram is known for his large scale sculptures of the Moon, the Sun and Earth, with Gaia and Lullaby touring to Barking in 2021. For Pollenarium, he has scaled up a microscopic grain of pollen into a 6 metre dome that we can walk inside.

Luke’s artworks often explore the wonder of astronomy, and now in Pollenarium, he invites us to explore the mysterious world of bees and insects and the hidden world of pollination within our local natural landscapes.

Pollenarium is free to enter and shown for one day only at Barking Riverside’s Emerge East festival on Saturday 12 September 2026, 11am to 9pm. Emerge East, Project Rd, Barking IG11 0YP.

Pollenarium is created by UK artist Luke Jerram and Pneuhaus, commissioned by Creative Barking and Dagenham in partnership with Barking Riverside Limited, with co-commissioning support from the Royal Horticultural Society and the University of Bristol. The artwork will premiere at Emerge East on 12 September 2026.

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Accessibility

Accessibility Features:

Family Friendly, Guide Dogs Welcome, Step Free Access, Visual Story Available, Wheelchair Accessible