Waddesdon, England (Commonwealth Union)_No, you can’t eat it although it looks good enough to eat. It’s the proverbial Hansel & Gretel house in the woods, but this time it’s a 12-meter-high three-tiered installation that is a gigantic wedding cake. Set in a grove of trees in Waddesdon, a ‘must see’ cultural landmark created and built by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild with the 19th-century entertainment space ‘Dairy’, standing alongside, the Wedding Cake is the perfect foil for this ‘part sculpture, part architectural garden folly’ as it has been described.
The fully immersive installation combines mouthwateringly delightful confectionary with amazing architectural creativity, gleaming in the rays of sunshine with beautiful icing-like decorations in ceramic tiles of pale pinks, greens, and blues. The sculptured ornaments are truly reminiscent of a master pâtissier at work. Add the sounds of trickling water and lighting that plays with your senses and the Wedding Cake truly celebrates marriage or as the artist calls it, “a temple of love”.
Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos was commissioned by the Rothschild Foundation, bringing to life the symbolism and tradition of ancient Rome when brides had bread broken over their heads for good fortune to the cake now being a symbol of status and celebration at a marriage. Vasconcelos simply adds a touch of playfulness to the long and colorful history of the wedding cake. She already has her giant candlesticks, Lafite placed on the Rothschild property.
There is a lot going on with Vasconcelos’ Wedding Cake, however. She has been inspired by the ostentation of Baroque buildings, Lisbon’s decorative ceramic traditions, and the beauty of the 18th-century garden pavilions steeped in Rothschild hospitality. The ceramics for the sculpture were sourced from the 170-year-old Viúva Lamego manufactory with 14cmx14cm tiles becoming the determining factor in the overall structure.
So if you need a wedding cake with a difference, here’s the recipe which of course once blended and combined, must be served with love! • 1 creative artist
• 1 visionary patron
• 2 international teams
• Pinch of experts
• 3500 wrought iron parts
• 21,815kg iron sheet
• Circa 25,150 Viúva Lamego ceramic tiles (99 different types) and 1,238 Viúva Lamego ceramic pieces
(52 different types). Ceramic tile area: 365 m2
• Plethora of ornaments – mermaids, dolphins, candles, globes, etc
• Indoor and outdoor lights – 350 glass flames receiving optical fiber (circa 3.000 meters)
• 592 light points
• Rivers of glaze
• Sprinklings of water
• Hope, belief, and effort
