Welcome to The Tomato House: A Time-Travelling Sensory Journey!
How can a single scent transport us across decades?
Join us for The Tomato House, the debut exhibition from Heartseedling at Patch, High Wycombe. This multi-sensory experience explores our deep connection to food, nature and ourselves - all through the lens of the world's most consumed fruit… the humble tomato. Enter a space of wonder, brimming with stories, tactile art and tomatoes!
We invite you to:
- Immerse your senses in the sights and smells of living tomato plants
- Engage with compelling stories of heritage, memory, connection and joy
- Discover the sounds of growing (and perhaps tomatoes themselves!)
- Explore tactile tomato art created in collaboration with local community groups
- Contribute your own story to a collaborative art piece... the BIG tomato!
It promises to be a truly memorable and vibrant experience, perfect for curious minds and families of all ages, reconnecting you to your roots and the vibrant community of growers.
Details
Where: Patch, The Old Library, Queen Victoria Road, High Wycombe, Bucks
When: 6th - 7th September, 2025
Times:
- Sat 6th Sep at 10.30 AM-1:30 PM and 2.00 PM-5.00 PM
- Sun 7th Sep at 10.00 AM-1:00 PM and 1:00 PM-4.00 PM
(*AM and PM timed sessions help ensure a maximum flow of people through the exhibition space and the interactive elements without feeling crowded).
Notes
- The exhibition will have real plants (mainly tomatoes!) and other tactile art exhibits designed to encourage interaction and exploration through touch, sight, smell and sound.
- No food or drink to be consumed in the exhibition space itself, but there is a small cafe in the venue (Django’s) open until 3.00 PM on Saturday and Sunday.
About: Heartseedling aims to explore and share stories of human motivation and connection, initially focused around why people grow food, unearthing deep connections to self, heritage, and community. "For me, growing food was ignited from a simple sensory memory: the powerful scent of tomato vines transporting me like a time machine back to my grandad's greenhouse in the 1980's and the memories of past summers. That, alongside the desire to reduce the miles my food travels and to grow my own pasta sauce!" This curiosity sparked Heartseedling's focus for 2025, designed to connect us by unearthing and sharing the diverse stories behind why we put our hands in the soil. Founder and Curator: Victoria (Vix) Marsland.
Supporting Heartseedling: This debut exhibition is free to attend to ensure accessibility for all and is brought to life with the support of a small creative team generously donating their skills and time. Elements of the tactile art have been co-created with various community groups during workshops/creative sessions in High Wycombe, Bucks and Oxfordshire. The exhibition has been self-funded and is donation-based so we welcome any contribution you feel is appropriate during your visit but this is entirely voluntary, only should you wish to. Any proceeds will contribute to the creative construction for this exhibition and helps Heartseedling continue its vision to enable future community initiatives.
