Through the Microscope: secrets of Norfolk’s changing landscape with Edible East – Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse

Gressenhall Farm and Workhouse is delighted to present ‘Through the Microscope: secrets of Norfolk’s changing landscape with Edible East’, a new exhibition which sheds light on microscopic worlds to mark 400 years since the term ‘microscope’ was first coined.

Opening on 17 March when the popular rural museum and farm re-opens for the new season, the exhibition brings together art and cutting-edge science in a fascinating journey of discovery.

Artists Jennie Pedley and Tara Sampy and horticulturalist Nik Thomson of Edible East have been exploring how the use of the microscope links us to environmental stories of Norfolk. To create the exhibition, they have drawn on research taking place at the John Innes Centre (JIC) and The Centre for Microbial Interactions, both based at Norwich Research Park, as well as the historic collections of the John Innes Foundation and Gressenhall. The project is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

The partnership between Edible East and the rural life museum is rooted in a mutual respect for the environment and Norfolk’s landscape. Drawing from insights and images offered by plant scientists, microbiologists and archivists, Edible East invite us to take a close look at how these tiny worlds play a crucial role in shaping our environment. From waterways of the Norfolk Broads to soil health, crops and our own gut microbiome, the artists explore how microscopic ‘landscapes’ affect the delicate balance we all rely on.

Artwork on display includes large-scale drawings, collage, plant prints of crops being bred to cope with climate change and installations inside a model theatre. The exhibition offers a visual and playful way into worlds seen through the microscope.

These new works sit alongside early examples of scientific equipment on loan from the John Innes Foundation Historical Collections and rare books from the archives of the John Innes Foundation which present some of the earliest illustrations of plants made with the help of the first microscopes.

The artists will also create new microscope-inspired work with participants from local community groups at Gressenhall. This part of the project will culminate in an outdoor trail which will be available to visitors in time for the school summer holidays.

‘Free floating’, Tara Sampy (Edible East) 2025