The 120-hectare Kew Royal Botanic Gardens in London is hosting horticultural and art installations this month to “reflect the beauty and color” of Mexican culture, including two installations by well-known Mexico City artist Betsabée Romero.
“Flores de luz y canto” (Flowers of Light and Song) is a 10-meter tall hanging lamp made of thousands of flowers created by hand with recycled-synthetic materials.
“[Flowers] form a part of universal culture and in Mexico, they are integrated into our daily and spiritual life,” said Romero, quoted in El Economista newspaper.
The artist is dedicating her monumental work to those who died from COVID-19 around the world, noting that “celebrating the dead is something that brings us together, creates a bond, fortifies us in our sorrow…celebration is our essence in Mexico. I have always said: I celebrate, therefore I am.”
“There are many artisanal elements,” said Betsabée about her second installation, a Day of the Dead ofrenda (offering), which is an homage to the diversity of traditions in the country.
“I integrated them together as part of a special homage to the Mayan altars. Day of the Dead is a multifaceted tradition in Mexico.”
Romero’s altar draws inspiration from traditions involved in Hanal Pixán, a variation of Day of the Dead celebrated in Mexico’s Yucatán peninsula.
Visitors to the exhibit will get a chance to add the names of their own loved ones to the altar, allowing for reflection on this important Mexican ritual.
The exhibit will be up through Oct. 31 at the Kew Gardens in the Temperate House and also includes pieces from artists Fernando Laposse and Jon Wheatley, the latter inspired by the surrealist gardens of Las Pozas in Xilitla, San Luis Potosí.
With reports from El Economista
