ABOUT THE PROJECT | de aquicito nomás

Lucia approached the planter boxes as a living sculpture that focused on "ornamental" plants migrating across the Americas. Species from South America, Central America, and North America were organized in a progression based on their place of origin. The eight planters, originally designed to contain them, highlighted their movement across territory.

People have been—purposely and accidentally—moving plants for centuries. From tiny seeds riding under a shoe to flowers traveling thousands of miles in the global plant trade, plants have been moved around in the name of profit, status, ignorance, romance, curiosity, conservation, and even livelihood.

Plants themselves are also in constant movement. Some are hiking up mountains to adapt to the changing climate, others are "escaping cultivation" and thriving beyond the boundaries of their assigned and acceptable garden location.

Contrary to common belief, scientific studies show that most nonnative plants move from the northern hemisphere to the Global South. Similarly, these planters showed a movement that flows in many directions. In time, the planters included other species, who volunteered to move in. They were welcomed as a reminder of plants' agency and own sense of belonging. After all, invasive is not a name.

ABOUT LUCIA MONGE

Lucia Monge is a Peruvian artist whose work explores the way humans position ourselves within the natural world and relate to other living beings, especially plants. She has collaborated with mycelium communicating underground, white cedars walking down the streets, and potato seeds orbiting around Earth to envision multispecies and anti-colonial futures. Monge has shown her work internationally, including at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Lima, Whitechapel Gallery, Queens Museum, and the United Nations Climate Change Conference.

To celebrate Lucia Monge’s residency we hosted a hybrid in person workshop and zoom panel conversation in April 2022. The images below are from the event. Thank you to Brian House, Andrea Vasquez, and Laura Glazer for sharing your photos with us.

Read more about the presenters and activities on the event page here.