Go See: ‘Implant’, over 45 artists and their bond with nature, at UBS Art Gallery, New York through October 31
September 3rd, 2008
Untitled (Greenhouse), Peter Coffin at the UBS Gallery via Murmurmostfoul
Located in midtown Manhattan, UBS Gallery presents “Implant”, with around 100 works by 45 artists, including Pipilotti Rist, Peter Coffin, Roman Signer, Felix Gonzalez-Torres, Ellsworth Kelly. The show was organized by The Horticultural Society of New York, and holds a diverse range of sculptures, paintings, and conceptual works, ranging from the botanically accurate to more abstract interpretations of plant life. Each piece is said to be fueled by the artist’s personal connection (or lack thereof) to the natural kingdom.
The UBS Art Gallery: Implant [UBS]
Yes, the Music Is Lovely, but Will the Plants Like It? [NYTimes]
Horticultural Society of New York: Implant [HSNY]
Peter Coffin’s Untitled (Greenhouse) , contains foliage and will also house concerts during the exhibition. Coffin arranged for musicians to play for the benefit of the plants, part of an experiment that was carried out with Untitled (Greenhouse) six years ago in Chelsea.
Implant at UBS Gallery via Flickr
Another highlight of “Implant” is Untitled (Alice B. Toklas’ & Gertrude Stein’s Grave, Paris) , a photograph by Cuban artist Felix Gonzalez-Torres. The context of the famous couple’s grave site animates a composition of flowering plants beyond its surface beauty.
Untitled, Felix Gonzalez Torres (1992) via HSNY
The exhibit brochure asks, “Is it possible that when an artist uses plants, i.e. flower, tree, or natural landscape in a composition, the connection has been directly suggested by these presumably innocuous living things?” Perhaps plants are gaining both agency and urgency, as “Implant” joins a movement of green art in the contemporary scene, such as the P.S.1 courtyard farm exhibit, P.F.1 , covered by AO here.
