Press Release

Moore Technology at Kew Gardens

15 September 2007 – 30 March 2008

Supported by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is using technology to inspire visitors to participate in the Moore at Kew exhibition, a landmark installation of twenty-eight large-scale bronze works co-curated with the Henry Moore Foundation and sited within the unique World Heritage Site landscape.

Not only will visitors take away the experience of viewing the monumental, iconic, sculptures they are also given the chance to learn about Moore, his art, his thoughts on nature and his legacy on their mobile phones. Moore on Your Mobile allows visitors to eavesdrop on scientists, art historians and others discussing the artworks and their relationship to their surroundings. The unique way of paying via text message is proving the most popular way to pay for this service. Kew Gardens was the first place in the UK to offer reverse SMS billing as a way to pay for an audio tour and the huge increase in people using text messaging in the UK has been a big contribution to this popularity. The audio is also available as an mp3 download free from the Kew website.

A special Moore at Kew mini-site, www.kew.org/henry-moore, has been commissioned to present extensive information and a full guide to the works within the exhibition. Using an interactive map to plan their visit, users can zoom in to detailed profiles that bring each sculpture alive. They can also take advantage of image slideshows, audio guides and have the opportunity to leave their own comments about the sculptures.

To celebrate the exhibition Kew is collaborating with Flickr to display a showcase of visitors' photography on the Moore at Kew website. Flickr is one of the world's leading photo-sharing communities where people explore, find, manage and share pictures with friends, family and the world. Kew is asking the public to take inspiration from their visit and share their photographs of the works in the unique surroundings on the site. Experimentation is the key! Exploring long-shots, close-ups and interesting angles, focusing on texture and shape, finding the visual contrast between the works and the landscape are all encouraged. People can upload and view their photos to the Mooreatkew Flickr group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/mooreatkew/

Kew's photo showcase is not just open to those who make it through the gates however. A second category takes its subject from Moore's own source of inspiration: nature. “Every thing, every shape, every bit of natural form… anything you like, are all things that can help you make a sculpture” he once wrote. Ten images that catch our eye are featured each week on the showcase on the Moore at Kew website. Once a season (autumn, winter and spring), we will pick our top-20 images, and then right at the end we'll select a final top-20. The Photo Showcase can be found at http://www.kew.org/henry-moore/create/photoshowcase.shtml

Ends

Notes to Editors

To listen to Moore On Your Mobile on your mobile, vouchers can be bought from any gate or the shop. Alternatively, you can call 020 711 222 40 and follow the prompts. You can either pay by reverse text message for £1.50 or enter in your credit card details. The system can be used for up to 48 hours with only a local call fee paid thereafter (rates vary depending on your mobile phone operator). If you pay by text you will receive a text message billing your phone. Members of the public looking for more information can visit www.kew.org/henry-moore.

Journalists can visit www.kew.org/press or contact Anna Quenby or Catherine Owen in the RBG Kew Press Office. Telephone: 020 8332 5607. E-mail: pr@kew.org For images, please visit www.kew.org/press/images Please contact the press office for password.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a major international visitor attraction and its 132 hectares of landscaped gardens attract over one million visitors per year. Kew was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2003 and represents over 250 years of historical landscape. The site houses over 40 listed buildings and other structures including the Palm House, Temperate House, Orangery and Pagoda as well as two ancient monuments, Queen Charlotte's Cottage and Kew Palace. RBG, Kew is a world famous scientific organisation, internationally respected for its outstanding living collection of plants and world-class herbarium as well as its scientific expertise in plant diversity, conservation and sustainable development in the UK and around the world. www.kew.org.

The Henry Moore Foundation has co-curated Moore at Kew with the team at Kew. The Henry Moore Foundation maintains the artist's studios and grounds at Perry Green in Hertfordshire, as well as the world's largest collection of Moore 's sculpture, drawings, graphics, textiles and tapestries. The Foundation is open to visitors from April to October, by appointment, 01279 843 333. The collection is managed from Perry Green by the curatorial staff, who are actively involved in the research, support and curating of Moore's work worldwide www.henry-moore-fdn.co.uk

Flickr is one of the world's leading online photo sharing communities where people explore, find, manage and share pictures of life's daily moments with friends, family and the world. With more than 40 million worldwide visitors each month, Flickr serves as the 'eyes of the world' and has revolutionized the sharing and discovery of what people see and experience through photos. To share and explore the world's photos, visit www.flickr.com

FlyPod www.flypod.net, creators of the Mediterranean Festival's podcasts, were commissioned to produce a series of conversations in front of the sculptures with experts on Moore, botany, photography and art for visitors to enjoy through their mobile phones. Many of the pieces feature conversations with people who worked closely with Henry Moore. FlyPod specialises in innovative audio content for the cultural sector.

X-on Storacall Technology www.x-on.co.uk was commissioned by Kew Gardens to provide the platform which allows visitors to enjoy an audio guide experience on their mobile phone. X-on Storacall Technology developed the service with the ability to pay by reverse text message to allow exhibitions like Moore at Kew to be accessible and spontaneous to the visitors.

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