​​​​​​​​​​Van Gogh Exhibit At NYBG Transports Visitors To The South Of France

Forbes

23-05-2025

Visitors interacting with "Pyramid Sunflower" at Van Gogh Flowers Exhibit at NYBG
The new Van Gogh exhibit at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) will immerse visitors in the golden ambiance of southern France.
This not-to-be-missed show, Van Gogh's Flowers, runs from Saturday, May 24, through Sunday, October 26, 2025, brings some of the enigmatic artist's most iconic paintings to life through colorful botanical displays, sculptures, and large-scale installations.
Approaching the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, visitors will be drawn to the massive field of oversized yellow sunflower sculptures on the lawn, a nod to Vincent van Gogh's Sunflowers series.
Between 1888 and 1889, van Gogh painted sunflowers in vases on large canvases to welcome his friend Paul Gauguin to the 'Yellow House' in Arles, where he hoped to establish an artist's colony.
'Pyramid Sunflower,' the installation at the NYBG by Lyon-based, international visual artist Cyril Lancelin, welcomes visitors to the Conservatory lawn, enticing them to take a detour and walk through the maze of photogenic sculptures ranging from 4 to 12 feet in height.
The path leading to the sculptures also showcases 32 varieties of living sunflowers that move with the sun, much like their kinetic sculptural representations.
Lancelin has created many other experiential geometric works in major cities around the world (including Paris, Philadelphia, Beijing, and Milan) that test the boundaries between reality and perception.
"Irises on Yellow Columns" by Graphic Rewilding at the New York Botanical Garden.
On this self-guided, self-paced exploration at the New York Botanical Garden, visitors are welcomed inside the Conservatory by Irises On Yellow Columns, a striking display by Lee Baker and Catherine Borowski.
This display reinterprets van Gogh's famous 'Irises,' painted during his 1889 stay in an asylum at Saint-Remy-de-Provence in southern France. These two contemporary artists joined forces to create Graphic Rewilding, designed to promote positivity to urban environments through public art.
"Roses: Van Gogh Eren" by Amie Jacobsen
Further inside, three-dimensional painted metal sculptures by Independence, Missouri-based artist and sculptor Amie J. Jacobsen were inspired by other spectacular van Gogh florals.
Jacobsen has designed numerous pieces for public spaces and private collectors, often inspired by natural landscapes. Her sculptures at the exhibition are beautifully posed in front of frames and living walls.
Van Gogh's hospital garden in Arles at the NYBG
Cheerful live flowers, boxwoods, a fountain and other architectural elements bring the hospital garden in Arles alive (where van Gogh spent the good part of a year in the midst of another mental health crisis).
During this time, the painter was highly focused and productive, poignantly writing to his brother Theo:
'When I send you the four canvases of the garden that I have on the go, you'll see that considering life happens above all in the garden, it isn't so sad.'
'Van Gogh's Flowers' poster
Throughout the experience, an evocative Van Gogh's Flowers Playlist comprised of French jazz and classical music, helps convey the sounds and feelings of southern France. Unobtrusive signage provides background on the artists.
Pairing art and nature, Van Gogh's Flowers is more than a botanical show. It offers an innovative and exciting approach to better understand this mysterious artist, his passion, his suffering and his integral connection to nature as a balm for the soul.
The NYBG has done a remarkable job pairing its horticultural, educational, and scientific expertise with the amazing setting of the Garden to elicit powerful emotions and promote understanding.
Van Gogh's Flowers
Van Gogh's Starry Nights at NYBG
Visitors can also experience the exhibit after dark at Starry Nights, when live music and lights illuminate these inspiring creations. For the first time in New York City, drones will provide light and color. Cocktails, mocktails, and light bites will be available for purchase, evoking the Parisian bistros frequented by van Gogh. Tickets are available from Fever, a NYBG partner.