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Vivid colors on walls and flat arches, draped with phalanopsis orchids. Statuesque unglazed Mexican terra cotta urns.
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Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism at the New York Botanical Garden
Opens to the public on Saturday, 15 February, runs through Sunday, 27 April 2025.
A decade ago there was another event with a south of the border theme in the Enid Haupt conservatory here at the New York Botanical Garden. It was focused on Frida Kahlo. There was color, cacti, flowers - but I do not recall any orchids. Regardless, that was then, this is now and there are thousands and thousands of orchids. Come, be enchanted and delighted.
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Vivid colors on walls and flat arches, draped with phalanopsis orchids. Statuesque unglazed Mexican terra cotta urns.
Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism pays homage to Mexican architect Luis Barragán. Deeply rooted in Mexican tradition, his architectural approach embraced the principles of Modernism.Vivid colors of walls and flat arches, splashing water, lush exuberance of plants and flowers offer visitors a transformative experience while never leaving the Bronx.
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On the left, an image from the Chapel of the Capuchins and its convent, designed by Luis Barragán.
On the right, one of the Orchid Show:Mexican Modernism's displays paying homage to Barráan.
image courtesy New York Botanical Garden
Vivid, intense, saturated colors. Envision intense sunlight. Blue sky as an element of the chromatic palette.
Barragán incorporated water, not a fountain but spilling out into space.
Water falling into the pool of the Enid Haupt Conservatory's Palm Court.
I am intrigued - how did they manage to create that twist in the water?
You know what they say about cats and curiosity. But did you know the full quote is "Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back." I have an answer about the twist in the falling water. It is serendipitous.
Kenia Pittman, Director of Exhibition Design & Operations wrote that, "The hour-glass look of the water feature in house 6 is not meant to represent a specific feature of Barragan’s designs. Simply a happy accident, as we worked with the fabricators to insure splash outside of the pool would not occur."
In the seasonal display gallery - water falling from a narrow slot, dropping into a small trough.
Here's a closer look. Water music. A lacy edging of ferns defining the orange wall's orchids.
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Some visitors cleverly wore clothes that harmonize with the event. Purple sweater / purple orchids. Orange flat arch /
winter down coat. Or, a wall's pointillistic display of orchids and a woman in a dress that nicely harmonizes with them.
Lighter. Darker. Orchids on a vivid cerise pink wall. Pillars of cacti, green lines on white wall.
Other than orchids. There are succulents, silver or gray, blending with gravel, rough lava rock, stone spheres.
Other walls, with one cut into an archway over the path. Skeleton of a tree, in turquoise. And an agave.
This show is all about the orchids. Thousands of phalanopsis. And a modest number of cymbidiums and some others. So what happens to the orchids after the show? A few will be added to the garden's collections. Most will be donated - staff of the five boroughs of New York City will be asked for recommendations where the orchids might be donated: senior centers, assisted living facilities, day care and more. Wonderful.
This charming woman wore a shawl she had knit. Fine wool. It took her a month
with some helpful assistance, she told me, of her two cream colored Persian cats.
How perfectly the color matches with the purple wall. Come. Walk through the long gallery.
Enjoy the color, the orchids, the bright arrangements of orchids in settings inspired by
the bold, chromatic, multicolored designs of Luis Barragán, Mexican modernist architect.
The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism runs from February 15 through April 27, 2025.
Tickets for The Orchid Show: Mexican Modernism at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) are on sale. For more information and to purchase tickets go to https://www.nybg.org/visit/admission/
There are also special Orchid Nights evening events
If you have any comments or questions, you can e-mail me: jgglatt@gmail.com
Made a visit? Please share what you think of the Mexican Modern Orchid Show at NYBG.
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