Brooklyn Botanic Garden will open Ancestral Ecologies, a site-specific exhibition by artist Olalekan Jeyifous and environmental art and architecture practice AD—WO, on view May 23 – Oct. 25.
The project marks the first presentation of the Garden’s Heidi Nitze Art × Environment Fellowship, a biennial program supporting collaborations at the intersection of art, science and environmental research.
The exhibition examines how Latinx and African diasporic relationships to land, ritual and spirituality can inform contemporary ecological thinking. Installed across the garden’s north end, the work draws on animist traditions that frame human and nonhuman life as interconnected, emphasizing exchange between people, plants and ecosystems.
“We’re really interested in this notion of nonhuman aliveness,” said artist Olalekan Jeyifous. “So, this is a collaboration not just with each other but also with the plants, soil and environment.”
Several installations respond directly to the surrounding landscape. Serpentine Specter references the Native Flora Garden’s distinct ecology through sculptural forms made from bioderived fibers and kiln-fired glass, while Sonic Strands features hanging elements composed of shells, beads and repurposed materials that produce sound through wind and movement, reflecting migration and cultural continuity.
The fellowship emphasizes research and public engagement. The team worked with garden staff, researchers from Columbia University’s Natural Materials Lab and local participants, including members of the Greenest Block program. Visitors also contributed to aspects of the installation, reinforcing the exhibition’s focus on shared ecological responsibility.
Additional materials documenting the creative process will be presented in the Conservatory Gallery, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the development of the work.
