Stockbridge, Massachusetts - May 12, 2008-For the first time in its nearly 75-year history, the Berkshire Botanical will have the opportunity to unveil brand new works of art created exclusively for the garden space. The new exhibition is the result of collaboration with MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) and is curated by MASS MoCA's Denise Markonish. Cultivate, a new garden-wide exhibition opens to the public on Saturday, June 8, at Berkshire Botanical Garden and serves as a companion to the new show Badlands: New Horizons in Landscape, opening at MASS MoCA May 25.
Visitors to both exhibitions can expect to see a compelling portrayal of the landscape. According to Markonish, "Badlands is a survey of contemporary artists' responses to the world around them and it comes at a critical time in our environmental history. The artists at MASS MoCA present an intense look at the declining landscape while the artists creating works for the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Cultivate take a nurturing approach to nature. Cultivate opens our eyes to the symbiotic relationship we have with the land and helps us see the world around us in a new way."
The twelve contemporary artists participating in Cultivate are: Betsy Alwin, Brooklyn, New York; Vaughn Bell, Seattle, Washington; Leila Daw, Branford, Connecticut; Christopher Frost, Somerville, Massachusetts; Petra Groen, The Netherlands; Christopher K. Ho, New York, New York; R. Elliott Katz, Burlington, Vermont; Lynn Koble, New York, New York; Joseph Smolinski, New Haven, Connecticut; Luke Stettner and Mac Carbonell, Brooklyn, New York and Jennifer Zackin.
"MASS MoCA generously arranged for artists to create this amazing companion exhibition," says Berkshire Botanical Garden Board member, Judith Owens. "The newly commissioned works of art underscore the truth and beauty of our natural world and work perfectly with our 2008 Nurturing Garden theme," she says. "This collaboration sets us on brand new path for the future, offering unique experiences for our garden visitors and special access for our members."
By visiting the Garden, artists were able to formulated new ideas. "Joseph Smolinski, fascinated by the phenomena of cell phone towers disguised as fake trees, will attach a cell phone tower looking device to a live tree on the island in the Garden's Pond," says Director of Horticulture, Dorthe Hviid. Leila Daw is inspired by the history of the landscape, maps and ancient ruins. Visitors to the Garden will need to look up in the trees to find her series of rocks hanging from tree limbs. Jennifer Zackin's piece suggests a link to the Apollo 11 space capsule with healing plants growing inside. The sculpture serves as a monument to ground the energy of the earth.
The Garden opened it doors for the season on May 3, and installation of the new works of art will take place May 20 through June 6. The preparations have set the tone for an exciting joint venture. "These two new exhibitions open the next chapter in landscape tradition. They grow from and nurture one another, symbiotic just like the landscape itself," says Markonish.
For further information about the Berkshire Botanical Garden events, education and exhibitions please call 413-298-3926 or visit www.berkshirebotanical.org. Photos posted for download: http://www.massmoca.org/design/visual_arts_images/Badlands/
