The one-man 26-acre, show at Longwood Garden, Philadelpheia, will be Munro's debut exhibition in the United States. The famous and historic gardens, which have antique glasshouses not dissimilar to those at Kew Gardens outside London, have commissioned Mr Munro to present LIGHT, from June 9 until September 29 this year. "The unmatched beauty of Longwood Gardens inspired me in so many ways," said Munro. "Creating works that speak to the landscape but also enhance the natural beauty of the Gardens was an exciting artistic challenge". Installation hightlights include Forest of Light, which invites guests to wander through a serene forest of 20,000 illuminated stems reminiscent of blooming flowers and Water Towers, a collection of 69 symmetric towers that create a glowing maze of light that change hues to music. 

Munro was inspired to make Field of Light , one of his most magical illuminated sculptures, during a trip through the Australian red desert with his fiance 18 years ago. Driving along he would stop at night at roadside campsites, which are often in stark contrast to the barren desert that surrounds them: sprinkler-fed oases of green, each one displaying a larger that life sculpture of surreal design and proportions -perhaps a giant banana, pineapple or Merino sheep. It is like an alien installation in the midst of nature. And like dry desert seeds lying in wait for rain, the sculpture's fibre optic stems lie dormant until darkness falls, and then under a blazing blanket of stars the flower with gentle rhythms of light. The first installation was at Harvey Nichols, London (Nov. 2003 - Jan. 2004). A second prototype was shown at the V&A Museum, London (April-May 2004). But the first large-scale version was in the 10 acre Long Knoll Field (Oct. 2004 - Oct. 2005). Then came widespread international recognition and the beautifull Holburne Museum in Bath was the next to host Field of Light. Next stop: Longwood Gardens, June 2012 - Oct. 2012. 

To date, his best-know installations are CD Sea at Long Knoll Field, near Kilmington in June 2010, after his appeal to collect unwanted CDs from the general public netted him 600,000 discs for the work. CDSea was the first of a number of self-funded installations using discarded or recycled materials, planned fro Long Knoll Field, which is bisected by a public footpath making it a natural public art gallery. Last but not least Munro's dramatic light installation above the catwalk of the Alexander McQueen A/W 2012/13 show, drew admiring comments from across the world. Please, Mr Munro, accept our respects too!

www.brucemunro.co.uk

www.longwoodgardens.org