At first blush, 'modernism' and 'flowery' aren't terms that would necessarily go hand-in-hand. But the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) is out to prove otherwise with this year's dazzling edition of the Orchid Show which spotlights Mexican modernism and, more specifically, the joyful buildings of architect Luis Barragán.
Each spring the garden, located in the Bronx, aims to celebrate orchids, one of the plant world's most fascinating and diverse species. Mexico is home to more than 1,300 orchid species, making it fertile turf to celebrate the country's biodiversity—and its architecture. In the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, visitors can encounter orchid-festooned walls, fountains and trellises inspired by Barragán's rainbow-hued ouevre.
In tandem with the flower show, NYBG has mounted a special photography exhibition dedicated to Barragán's works. Located in the garden's Ross Gallery, ‘Homage to Luis Barragán: An Act of Poetry’ presents a series of still images captured by photographer Martirene Alcantara. Through her photos, Alcantara captures Barragán's proclivity for hot-house colors and stark geometries, while also conveying his keen eye for shadow and light.
Additionally, NYBG will be inviting visitors to the gardens after-hours to sway to the tunes of Mexican cumbia music and host special orchid educational events and tours. It's even curated a special playlist inspired by the flowers an Barragán's bold, colourful architecture.
‘The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism’ is on until 27 April 2025 www.nybg.org
-
This Toronto pizzeria hides a sultry bar with serious biteNorth of Brooklyn unveils a fresh, two-level outpost where crisp, light-filled minimalism gives way to a warmer, neon-lit upstairs area
-
A Lagos exhibition celebrates Fela Kuti's defining soundAn exhibition, Afrobeat Rebellion, currently showing at the Ecobank PanAfrican Centre in Lagos, explores the life of Afrobeat father Fela Anikulapo-Kuti
-
The Architecture Edit: Wallpaper’s houses of the monthFrom wineries-turned-music studios to fire-resistant holiday homes, these are the properties that have most impressed the Wallpaper* editors this month
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekIt’s been a week of escapism: daydreams of Ghana sparked by lively local projects, glimpses of Tokyo on nostalgic film rolls, and a charming foray into the heart of Christmas as the festive season kicks off in earnest
-
Inside the work of photographer Seydou Keïta, who captured portraits across West Africa‘Seydou Keïta: A Tactile Lens’, an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum, New York, celebrates the 20th-century photographer
-
Out of office: The Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekFrom sumo wrestling to Singaporean fare, medieval manuscripts to magnetic exhibitions, the Wallpaper* team have traversed the length and breadth of culture in the capital this week
-
María Berrío creates fantastical worlds from Japanese-paper collages in New YorkNew York-based Colombian artist María Berrío explores a love of folklore and myth in delicate and colourful works on paper
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekAs we approach Frieze, our editors have been trawling the capital's galleries. Elsewhere: a 'Wineglass' marathon, a must-see film, and a visit to a science museum
-
June Leaf’s New York survey captures a life in motionJune Leaf made art in many forms for over seven decades, with an unstoppable energy and fierce appetite leading her to rationalise life in her own terms.
-
Jamel Shabazz’s photographs are a love letter to Prospect ParkIn a new book, ‘Prospect Park: Photographs of a Brooklyn Oasis, 1980 to 2025’, Jamel Shabazz discovers a warmer side of human nature
-
Inside a Courtney Love-inspired art exhibition in New YorkLiza Jo Eilers looks to the glory days of Hole at an exhibition at Grimm New York
