BLOOM / WILT / BLOOM

curated by Michele Mack and Elga Wimmer
April 12 – May 5, 2018
New York, USA

“Like the lily, That once was mistress of the field and flourish'd, I'll hang my head and perish.” (Shakespeare, Henry VIII)

Flowers are a beautiful and powerful symbol of life across the ages, and when the petals fall off the rose, or the lilies decay, they also have come to represent peace in the afterlife—every civilization & culture in human history has derived different meanings from different flowers, according to their mysterious rhythms. Perfumers who create scents make sure there is a note of decay to startle the senses: always a reminder that where is birth, there is death.

Duality held side by side is the matter of most things. The astonishing resilience of our nature is matched by the extraordinary fragility of our lives. Much of the complexity of our human trajectories defines itself within these two boundaries, one pulling toward life, one flirting with death. —Dr. Barbara Stehle on Inma Barrero