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The vibrant colors of Mexico come to NYC for a unique Orchid Show at NYBG!
Extraordinary as the New York Botanical Garden's orchid shows always are, this year’s is unlike anything that has come before. The current exhibit, Mexican Modernism, inspired by the renowned and Pritzker Prize-winning midcentury Mexican architect Luis Barragán (1902-88), is utterly new. It is an unprecedented extravaganza of color, serenity, and flamboyance. Or, as the New York Times says, NYBG balances “simplicity of conception with opulence of execution.” This weekend is your last chance to see the show!
The simplicity of execution derives from Barragán’s ideas about color, light, nature, and geometric shapes. The opulence of execution lies with the thousands of orchids chosen for their beauty and diversity. The show is installed in three galleries of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory: the main gallery, the Palms of the World Gallery with its reflecting pool, and two additional seasonal galleries. Excellent signs will guide you.
NYBG has chosen a Barragán masterpiece, Gilardi House in Mexico City, as inspiration for the orchid showcase. I toured the house with Fluenz, a Spanish-immersion company that offers tours of the home conducted by the current owner, Eduardo Luque. Luque has maintained it meticulously. Eduardo's father, Martín Luque, an advertising executive, had agreed in 1975 to let Barragán design the house around an existing jacaranda tree. Fifty years later, the tree continues to thrive in Mexico City, while a replica serves as a star of the exhibit in the Bronx.
The orchid show's interpretation of Barragán's jacaranda tree is a fabricated steel sculpture painted blue and adorned with purple and pink orchids. The orange and white orchids planted in the white stucco wall reflect another Barragán principle: flowers can be happy most anywhere, even in seemingly hostile environments.
A sister exhibit of spectacular photographs by Mexican-born photographer Martirene Alcántara is in NYBG's adjacent Ross Gallery. This might seem a distraction from the orchids, but no. NYBG explains in its signage that “Photography was a critical tool to market and sell Barragán’s unique aesthetic. He was keenly aware of creating spaces that were not only tranquil and beautiful, but that also photographed well.” Sadly, much of his work has been demolished, with the result that “a large part of his legacy lives on in the incredible photos that capture his vision.” NYBG encourages visitors to take photos throughout the show.
As visitors walk through the many rooms of the exhibit, they repeatedly encounter the magnificence of the Haupt Conservatory both inside and out. Orchids thrive within, and the NYBG's glorious planted trees can be seen bursting into bloom through the glass windows.
Orchids bloom inside the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and weeping Japanese cherry trees, Prunus pendula, thrive outside
Marc Hachadourian, Director of Glasshouse Horticulture and Senior Curator of Orchids, points out that orchids are one of the most diverse flowering plants in the world: “What unites this family is their unique floral anatomy designed to guide the pollinator into the flower. Orchid flowers are purely for reproduction. Much as we appreciate them for their beauty, the beauty is there to help the orchid reproduce and make seeds.” Hear more from Mar in the video below!
The New York Botanical Garden is located in the Bronx at 2900 Southern Boulevard. You can drive, but the Garden's parking garage is temporarily closed. A better option is to take public transportation: the Metro-North Railroad from Grand Central, or the MTA's B, D, or 4 train to Bedford Park Boulevard Station. Then pick up the BX25 or 26 bus to NYBG's Mosholu Entrance. Tickets to the orchid show are available online here!
You can eat on site at the Hudson Garden Grill or Pine Tree Café. Or you can walk a few blocks to one of the other treasures of the Bronx: Arthur Avenue, the Little Italy of the Bronx. We had a wonderful late lunch at Ann & Tony's Restaurant, 2407 Arthur Avenue, which has been in business since 1927.
Next, check out 10 Secrets of the New York Botanical Garden!
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