Inspired by the show's 2015 creative, the sculpture stands at 8m high and is covered in thousands of hand-painted ceramic tulips. Paul Cummins is well-known for the now-iconic Tower of London poppy installation.
Located in the 12,000sq.m Great Pavilion - filled with more than 100 beautiful floral displays - the sculpture was hidden from view by a large cylindrical drape, dropped via solenoid kabuki. Paul Cummins himself pressed the 'go' button, revealing his latest work to the crowds.
Blackout was contracted by RHS head of shows, Nick Mattingley, to design and build the system. Ian Moody, Blackout's installation technician, led the project and oversaw the all-important drop itself.
He said: "We loaded in the kabuki system six days before the show. There were two reveals on the Monday; one for the press and one for The Queen. We needed to be able to re-build quickly in-between the drops.
"We designed and installed a solenoid kabuki system; a three meter truss circle with four Prostar Motors and an 11m high (110m2) cylindrical drape made of white satin. This shielded the sculpture from view until organisers were ready for the big reveal."
The sculpture was revealed to the press at 1pm on Monday 18th May, with mainstream print, TV and radio press in attendance. After the press reveal, the motors allowed Blackout to seamlessly lower the truss circle and reattach the drape, before raising it back into place for The Queen's reveal later that day.
RHS head of shows, Nick Mattingley, said: "We were thrilled that the RHS Chelsea Flower Show was chosen to stage Paul's first major work since his poppy installation. The sculpture was a fantastic addition to this year's event and provided a focus for the show's opening.
"We wanted to keep the sculpture shielded from the public eye. A kabuki system was ideal for this and also added a touch of drama for the official reveal. I have a long-standing relationship with Blackout and they were ideal for the job."
Chris Brain, Blackout's installation director, said: "We were very proud to be chosen for the reveal of Paul's latest art installation, and also to work once again with Nick Mattingley. A kabuki is a quick, cost-effective way to add intrigue to an event."
Paul Cummins's 2014 installation, which consisted of 888,246 ceramic poppies filling the moat of the Tower of London, hit headlines across the world last year. The poignant installation marked 100 years since the first day of Britain's involvement in the First World War.
