The Mexican plastic artist Betsabeé Romero will create two magic (and must-see) installations in Temperate House, the greenhouse Victorian biggest in the world, located in the Royal Botanic Gardens in London.
These creations, which will be open to the public throughout the month of October, seek to highlight the close connection between Mexican culture and nature.
To achieve this, Betsabeé Romero's main facility, called Flower of Light and Song, will be totally inspired by the rituals and traditions of the Day of the Dead.
A candlestick in the form of a fifteen, which is nothing more than a symbol that serves to represent the harmonious relationship between the nature and humanity in pre-Hispanic cosmology, will be placed in the greenhouse.
A look at what the installation will look like The Altar by Betsabee Romero. Source: Courtesy
This piece, handwoven by members of various communities in Mexico City, will immerse visitors in one of the central symbols of the Day of the Dead, the marigold, also known as cempasúchil.
The second installation that Betsabeé Romero will carry out, The Altar, find inspiration and in Hanal Pixan (the Mayan celebration of the Day of the Dead), which is why it is configured as a ceremonial altar, a space for reflection and commemoration, evoking a ritual that is still a central part of Yucatan culture today.
But that is not all that visitors will be able to see and enjoy at Temperate House, as they will also find curious creations by Mexican designer Fernando Laposse.
Installation Flower and light for unfinished goodbyes, 2022. Bathsheba Romero. Source: Betsabeé Romero Website
En Fantastic Jungle Sloths you will be able to enjoy huge golden sloths climbing through the canopy of Temperate House.
Made by transforming plant fibers into sustainable pieces of art, Laposse's work focuses on issues such as the environmental crisis and the loss of biodiversity, which is why he regularly collaborates with indigenous communities throughout Mexico to raise awareness about the challenges facing them. face in an increasingly globalized world. .
And as a finishing touch, garden designer Jon Wheatley will work with the botanical garden's collection of Mexican plants to create an installation titled Surreal Pillars of Mexico.
The Las Pozas-inspired piece, located in a subtropical rainforest in the Sierra Gorda mountains of Mexico, will display a variety of Mexican plants, which will be truly fantastic.
Installation halls of memory, 2019. Bathsheba Romero. Source: Betsabeé Romero Website