Leave it to the Wolfsonian, the multi-dexterous museum/library/research centre of the Florida International University, to make a common houseplant the subject for its latest exhibition. Inspired by philodendrons, a plant variety native to Latin America and now a mainstay in many households, the institution has charted how these and fellow tropical plants have ventured away from their Central American birthplaces to the rest of the world.
‘Philodendron: From Pan-Latin Exotic to American Modern’ is a sumptuous visual treat that showcases the influence of this region’s tropical flora. Bringing together about 150 objects spanning fashion, paintings, film, architecture, artifacts and design, the exhibition showcases three centuries’ worth of creativity in a vivid setting. Some noteworthy highlights include a 1935 etching by Henri Matisse; an early example of the artist’s study of philodendrons, and never-before-seen photographs of the American botanist David Fairchild’s 1932/33 plant-hunting expedition in the Caribbean.
‘Philodendrons now grow in the US like weeds and decorate every home – they are so common that they go unnoticed’, says Wolfsonian curator Christian Larsen, who instigated the exhibition. ‘By focusing our attention on the way they have inspired artists and designers, we tell a story of Pan-American exchange and American notions, including stereotypes of the tropics.”
In addition to scientific studies of the plants that reflect historical interests, the exhibition is filled with pop cultural references, such as the way tropical plants were incorporated in cruise advertising in the 1930s, to paperback romance novels, seductive Hollywood set design and modernist home settings of the 40s, 50s and 60s. Coming straight up to present day, this affectionate homage will leave you with a newfound appreciation for an overlooked aspect of the home.
The show brings together 150 objects spanning fashion, paintings, film, architecture, artifacts and design
A sampling of magazines, paperback romance novels and advertising that relied on philodendrons to transports its viewers to another place
There are also numerous scientific studies that reflect a prolonged historical interest in Central America and its plants
Western artists, designers, and architects, such as Frederick Edwin Church, Henri Matisse, and Dorothy Draper embraced and transformed these symbols to represent national identity
The exhibtion also features a special commission in the Wolfsonian’s lobby by the Columbian-German landscape architect team Mauricio del Valle and Veronika Schunk,which uses live specimens of different philodendron species
The resulting, popularised of tropical iconography is very much alive today
INFORMATION
‘Philodendron: From Pan-Latin Exotic to American Modern’ is now on view until 28 February 2016
ADDRESS
Wolfsonian
1001 Washington Avevnue
Miami Beach, Florida
-
Audemars Piguet and Kaws have created the Royal Oak Concept watch we didn't know we neededThe Audemars Piguet x Kaws Royal Oak Concept Tourbillon 'Companion' is slick wrist-worn art
-
A friendly rivalry coloured by kinship: Wendy Maruyama and Tom Loeser on their two-artist show'I wanted to make furniture, just not traditional furniture, but weird furniture,' says Wendy Maruyama on ‘Colorama’, a two-artist show presented at design gallery Superhouse (until 11 January 2025)
-
Tranquil and secluded, Lemaire’s new Tokyo flagship exudes a sense of homeIn Tokyo’s Ebisu neighbourhood, Lemaire’s tranquil new store sees the French brand take over a former 1960s home. Co-artistic directors Christophe Lemaire and Sarah-Linh Tran tell Wallpaper* more
-
Brooklyn furniture studio Stillmade unveils its first collaborative design seriesStillmade brings to life the designs of four New Yorkers – Pat Kim, Danny Kaplan, Michele Quan and Mignogna Studio
-
Blue Green Works's lighting champions a new aesthetic in American designManhattan-based design studio Blue Green Works fuses sensuality and masculinity to create mellow, mood-enhancing lighting with visual impact
-
Blue Green Works introduces alluring new lighting collectionInspired by iconography, American design studio Blue Green Works introduces five new lighting ranges
-
Exclusive peek at artfully curated home in Jean Nouvel’s 53 West 53RR Interiors' latest furnishing project – 61A at 53 West 53 – highlights art, architecture and city views inside Jean Nouvel's monumental New York skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan
-
Industrial elements are imbued with elegance in Holly Hunt’s new Los Angeles showroomHolly Hunt and architects Johnston Marklee have created a warm and tactile space in a 1940s building
-
Sculptural ceramic lamps from Brooklyn’s In Common With and Danny Kaplan‘Terra’, a new collection of ceramic lamps featuring tactile glazes, puts Brooklyn studio In Common With and ceramicist Danny Kaplan in the spotlight
-
Sight Unseen launches furniture line with BestcaseEditorial platform Sight Unseen worked with sheet metal specialist Bestcase to launch a collection of 1970s-inspired furniture in collaboration with Home Studios, Studio Anansi and Thévoz-Choquet
-
Roll & Hill and Post Company's lighting designs in Inness are inspired by Georgian bell jarsBrooklyn-based studio Post Company created a new lighting collection for Roll & Hill, inspired by bell jar lanterns and conceived for country refuge Inness
