Using Walls, Floors, and Ceilings. A monumental, visually complex floral sculpture
The Jewish Museum's exhibition series bringing site-specific works of art to the Museum's main lobby continues this fall with artist Willem de Rooij's Bouquet XI (2014), a monumental, visually complex floral sculpture composed of species indigenous to the Middle East - inspired by the fact that Israel, like de Rooij's native Netherlands, is a major flower exporter. Bouquet XI was realized with floral designer Bella Meyer, and contains allergenic flowers that may interrupt a pleasant viewing with sneezes or a stuffed nose. The drifting pollen alludes to the conflicts and harmonies that arise when borders are traversed and cultures collide, while the display of Middle Eastern flora, thousands of miles from their native habitat, hints at other global forms of movement, such as trade and commerce. The exhibition is organized by Jens Hoffmann, Deputy Director, Exhibitions and Public Programs, and Kelly Taxter, Assistant Curator.