The New York Botanical Garden represents the colorful universe of Van Gogh

Alondra Flores Soto

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 1, 2025, p. 4

A field of giant sunflowers at the New York Botanical Garden is born to delight the senses, and the flowers that inspired Vincent van Gogh's paintings become a living canvas with the colorful brushstrokes of one of the world's most admired artists.

Van Gogh's Flowers is the title of the exhibition at this natural oasis in the American city. On certain nights, the swirling patterns of the Starry Night canvas will shine in the sky with an avant-garde drone show, the first of its kind at a New York cultural institution, the Bronx-based living museum announced.

Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) is considered a Post-Impressionist painter. His explosion of color, symbolism, and passionate brushstrokes revolutionized the history of art.

He died unsuccessfully, mired in depression, poverty, and without selling his paintings. "The sadness will last forever ," were probably his last words, as he wrote to his brother Theo in a letter. Almost 135 years after his death in Auvers-sur-Oise, France, he is one of the most beloved and valued artists, not only in the art world but also in popular culture.

Painters understand nature and love it, and they teach us to see , Van Gogh wrote in his wonder and desire to capture it in his art. Flowers, fields, and trees are frequent motifs in the canvases he left for the world to admire. The sunflowers, painted numerous times, and the violet irises are some of his most famous paintings.

Founded in 1891, the New York Botanical Garden aims to connect people, plants, and the adventure of science, seeking to explore the joy, beauty, and respite of nature . Spring and summer are the best times to visit the 48 gardens spread across one square kilometer, as these are the seasons when the climate allows for a lush botanical variety. One of the centerpieces is the Haupt Conservatory, a wrought-iron greenhouse.

The installation, inspired by the Dutch painter's paintings, will be open from May 24 to October 26, in an explosion of floral colors. The Haupt Conservatory and its surroundings have been transformed this spring. Botanical arrangements and contemporary art pieces bloom to bring Van Gogh's world to life and allow visitors to enter the canvases.

With vibrant colors and blooming beauty at every turn, including a monumental sunflower field to stroll through, come connect with the natural world that inspired the artist's vision —it's the Botanical Garden's captivating invitation.

In a video released by the institution, Kelly Ivanoski, in charge of the Nolen greenhouses of this orchard, explains how they work to germinate and care for the plants in the exhibition, which will show many varieties of sunflowers and related species, we will have anything that evokes what Van Gogh showed in his art, the color and brightness .

In addition, the garden of the Arles hospital where he was interned, painted in 1889, is recreated with a representation of natural flowers and architectural elements.

Contemporary artists created pieces that integrate into the space, including a field of giant sunflower sculptures for visitors to wander through , designed by Cyril Lancelin. Sculptor Amie Jacobson and graphic artists Lee Baker and Catherine Borowski, founders of Graphic Rewilding, also collaborated to bring nature-inspired graphic murals into the public space, counterbalancing the urban landscape.