©2022 Christiane Fashek

Curious Allies: Mutualism in Fungi, Parasites and Carnivores, is on view at the New York Botanical Garden in Ross Gallery through October 27, alongside the garden-wide exhibition Wonderland: Curious Nature. Unusual plants with fascinating relationships have been chosen for this Fifth Triennial by a jury team of Joanna Groarke, Robin Jess, Patricia Jonas, and Susan Mintun. Chosen are 48 artworks from artists in the US, Brazil, Canada, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, South Africa, and the UK. The artworks included illustrate various elements of the theme, examining important and often unobserved relationships fungi, lichens, mycotrophic, parasitic, and carnivorous plants have with other plants and animals. Mushrooms and fungi serve as decomposers, form networks between plants, and can clean up environmental toxins. Lichens are themselves relationships between fungi and a chlorophyll-containing bacteria or algae. Parasitic plants attach directly to a host and draw nutrients from the host, sometimes harming the host. And carnivorous plants supplement nutrients from soil and water with a diet of insects, consuming them for additional nutrients. 

All of these organisms develop relationships that are critical to functioning ecosystems, but many times their impact is not fully appreciated. This exhibition hopes to shine a light on the many environmental benefits derived from these mutualistic relationships and new discoveries being made about their impacts. 

Artists with work included are: Susan Benjamin, Margaret Best, Jessica Daigle, Rebecca Davies, Maria Alice deRezende, Ronda Dick, Shevaun Doherty, Jean Emmons, Akiko Enokido, Christiane Fashek, Lara Gastinger, Janet Goltz, Prerna Gupta, Yoko Harada, Erika Hargesheimer, Albina P. Herron, Asuka Hishiki, Ann Hoffenberg, Mariko Ikeda, Mieko Ishikawa, Karen Kluglein, Patricia Luppino, Lucy Martin, Tammy S. McEntee, Sarah Morrish, Eunike Nugroho, Barbara Oozeerally, Nina Petrochko, Sengmany Phommachakr, Linda Powers, Theresa Ream, Gillian Rice, Betsy Rogers-Knox, Daleen Roodt, Elaine Searle, Beverly Simone, Kim Spink, Jane Sturgeon, Rose Torres, Donnett Vanek, Janene Walkky, Yuan Yuan Wang, Carol Woodin, and Fatima Zagonel.

ASBA gratefully acknowledges these Exhibition Sponsors, who generously provided major support for Curious Allies: Mutualism in Fungi, Parasites, and Carnivores

Chris J. Haas

Catherine M. Watters

For info on travel: exhibitions@asba-art.org.

To support this exhibition’s travel: Sponsorships