The theme of the new installation at the Reiman Gardens, a massive public garden at Iowa State University, is “Nature Connects.” That usually means something about the complex interdependency of the ecological network and blah blah hippie stuff, but in this case it means nature literally snaps together out of LEGO bricks. And also blah blah hippie stuff as well.
The LEGO sculptures are by “LEGO Certified Professional” Sean Kenney, and they range in size from six inches to almost eight feet. The mix of sculptures, which includes fish, birds, mammals, insects, plants, and for some reason a lawnmower, is intended to represent balanced ecosystems — the relationships between predator and prey, plant and pollinator, creature and habitat, human and gas-powered garden tools.
The sculptures, which are made of almost 500,000 LEGO bricks, are on display through the end of October, if you happen to be in Ames, Iowa (or if you’re willing to travel for the sake of gazing at a LEGO fox or lawnmower).
