Next time you go to Manor House Gardens, take a look at a remarkable artwork celebrating migration which has just been installed in the lake. It’s so large it needed a crane to drop it into place.
“To Move is to Bloom” (2025) is a large-scale, dragonfly-inspired sculpture emerging from the lake, symbolising migration as a natural cycle of resilience and renewal. Each piece is attached to a flexible pole so they move in the wind.
The work is by a Serbian born artist Vladimir Lalić who told us “I wanted to show migration as something deeply natural and transformative. Movement, both physical and emotional, is what makes life possible.”
His multi-pronged sculpture was laser-cut from stainless steel sheets, then bent, welded, and hand-painted in enamel varnish. Each element is unique: some more insect-like, others more floral or abstract. It sits on top of a heavy metal frame which rests on the lake bed.
The Friends of Manor House Gardens facilitated the installation with Glendale, the contractors responsible for the Gardens.
The sculpture is funded by an Arts Council grant which was secured by Tima Jam, a recent Lee resident who describes herself as an “Iranian-British curator, art consultant, and cultural strategist dedicated to amplifying emerging and underrepresented voices in contemporary art.”
Tima has young children and having spent many happy hours in Manor House Gardens thought it would be a good location for the project.
Tima’s organisation Art Voyage Biennial has a mission to celebrate innovation, creativity, and artistic brilliance across the globe.
“As a nomadic and hybrid fair, we believe great art should not be limited to a single place; every two years, we will move to a new location with a fresh programme shaped by the local art scene.”
Art Voyage is behind two other projects in the Gardens:
“Crafting Connections” (2025) by Alice Burnhope — created in collaboration with members of the Lewisham community in workshops at Manor House Library. It was unveiled at the Royal Society of Arts and the organisers are now seeking a permanent home for it.
“La Mesa Del Pueblo” (2025) by Ryan Hawaii — a reimagined textile tabletop celebrating Lewisham’s cultural lifeblood, weaving together local heroes, small businesses, and migrant community flags at The Park Café in Manor House Gardens.
There will be an official launch of the Lake sculpture on Sunday November 2nd at noon. All are welcome. More details here..
Read more about the sculpture in this interview Vladimir has given the Lee Manor Society.
This article has been updated.
Looks fabulous, must go and see it as soon as possible.
What a shame the water in the lake is so filthy at the moment, why isn’t the fountain/ aerator being switched on, surely that would help? It can’t be a healthy environment at the moment for the plants and creatures that live there.
The aerator needed repairing but we understand it is now fixed thanks to the efforts of the Friends of Manor House Gardens
That’s good to hear, thanks.