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Courtesy of the Missouri Botanical Garden
"Magic Reimagined" at the Missouri Botanical Garden
If you went to any of the Whitaker concerts at the Missouri Botanical Garden in 2012, you remember the huge, glowing Chinese silk lanterns that were part of "Art by Day, Magic by Night." (There are still traces of that show floating around the city, too; at least two Buddha heads have come to rest in public places, including on the roof of a garden center in Kirkwood.) It was an educational experience: most Americans think of Chinese lanterns being this plant, or a spherical light fixture, not the large-scale, lit sculptures they saw at the Garden. That's because these objects are rarely on display outside of China.
Now that we understand what "Chinese lantern," really means, we can get extra effusive about the fact that in May of 2015, the Garden will unveil a new lantern festival, "Magic Reimagined."
From the press release:
The Missouri Botanical Garden will play host to an international exhibition of 22 lighted works of art from Zigong, China when it debuts “Lantern Festival: Magic Reimagined” in 2015. Following critical acclaim and rave reviews from visitors during the 2012 Festival, the Garden has commissioned new sets crafted from silk and steel to once again offer visitors from around the world the opportunity to see an event rarely staged outside of Asia. Lantern Festival will again be an outdoor, evening display running May 23 to August 22, 2015.
“We were overwhelmed with the reaction our 2012 Lantern Festival received and for the last two years have heard from so many people asking if another festival would ever be held,” said Dr. Peter Wyse Jackson, president of the Missouri Botanical Garden. “At the same time, we have continued our botanical research in China, and feel it is fitting to highlight the growing number of botanical gardens in that country as we celebrate the continued contributions the Missouri Botanical Garden makes in science on a global scale.”
Lantern festivals are a central part of Chinese culture, dating back thousands of years. Today, lantern festivals traditionally mark the Chinese New Year, when complex and ornate lanterns fill cities. The 22 sets that will be seen during Lantern Festival 2015 will be constructed using traditional materials including silk, wire and porcelain. Each set will include interpretation detailing the design’s tradition, symbolism and meaning.
The sets include "Porcelain Stupa Pagoda," built from 300,000 porcelain plates, bowls, spoons, teacups, ladles, and wine cups; "Soaring Dragon Horse," a depiction of the Chinese spirit of heaven and earth; and "Giant Dandelion and Panda," which will be built from recycled plastic bottles. Tickets go on sale November 1. The Missouri Botanical Garden is located at 4344 Shaw; for more information about the Lantern Festival, or about other events in the Garden, call For general information, 314-577‑5100, 1‑800‑642‑8842, visit mobot.org, or follow MoBot's Facebook and Twitter feeds.
