Paradise Is

Paradise Is is a gallery installation by artist Bettina Furnée, located just outside Baldock in Hertfordshire. It's a contemporary art piece rather than a traditional gallery space - the kind of thing you'll either find genuinely thought-provoking or mildly baffling depending on your tolerance for conceptual work. The title itself is the whole point: Furnée's exploration of what paradise means, what it looks like, whether it exists at all. You're meant to sit with that question.

This works best for anyone with a genuine interest in contemporary art and conceptual practice. If you're the type who needs a painting to look like something, or sculpture to have obvious function, you might find yourself staring at your watch. Art students and anyone who enjoys a bit of philosophical head-scratching will probably get more from it.

Contact details and opening hours aren't clearly published, so before you make the drive from Baldock, you'll want to check the website or ring ahead. Entry details are similarly vague, though many artist installations are free or by donation. Allow 20-30 minutes, longer if you're genuinely engaged with the concept.

It doesn't sit naturally into a park holiday itinerary - you're not going to swing by Paradise Is on your way to the caravan at Radwell Lake or Henlow Bridge Lakes. But if you're staying in the area and have an evening free, it's worth investigating. Baldock itself is hardly a destination, but this piece at least offers something different.