Did you know that Brighton and Hove has a geological bedrock – the ‘elephant bed’, running beneath it? Well, no, why would you? 

So you’d best settle down for a brief geology lesson. Sussex was once a mysterious place under the sea. Much like it’s modern day residents discard their clothes at the first sniff of summer, coccolithophores - the microscopic algae that formed the primeval population of Brighton, would discard their shells and leave them to form the chalky mass we now know as the South Downs.

Keeping up? Well, inspired by those same wanton coccolithophores that would strip so readily, all those thousands of leagues ago,  American sculptor John Grade has created The Elephant Bed. An immense installation, it’s showing exclusively at the Fabrica Gallery,which was set up back in 1996 at the deconsecrated Holy Trinity church, by a group of artists from Red Herring studios. This is Grade’s first UK exhibition and Fabrica’s focus for the summer, so go forth and marvel, it starts today.

Dates: 11 July – 31 August 2009

Gallery opening times: Wednesday – Saturday 12-5.30pm
Thursdays in August till 7pm
Sundays & bank holidays 2-5pm

Entrance free

www.fabrica.org.uk
www.johngrade.com