Kapwani Kiwanga's 'On Growth' on view at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum
View Kapwani Kiwanga’s ‘On Growth’, a sculpture of a fern encased in glass at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum. To create this prismatic artwork, first commissioned by The High Line in New York, Kiwanga researched Wardian cases, a predecessor to modern day terrariums which were used to transport botanical specimens from overseas to display in European cities. At deCordova, many of the trees were similarly collected from afar and brought to the landscape when Julian and Elizabeth Dana de Cordova lived on the site during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Kiwanga’s work is part of the site-inspired commissions and loans by six women artists at deCordova. The work of these artists look at refuge, care and the shared protective relationship between humans and nature. Each piece invites you to experience the landscape not as a backdrop, but as a vital collaborator in the artwork. Together, they explore the distinctive relationships between the natural world and ideas of home in a special place where art, nature, and people coexist.
