Future Herbarium

Intervening on the four towers of Digital City, an emblematic architectural landmark in the heart of Riyadh, Laurent Grasso presents a large animation of a hybrid flower in motion on each of the façades. Alongside with his Studies into the Past painting series, which depict strange natural phenomena in historical scenes, Future Herbarium belongs to his eponymous series, which brings to life a fictitious future in which today’s reality is transformed. Specially produced for Noor Riyadh, the work’s mutated flowers raise an imaginary garden in Riyadh’s urban landscape. Like shining beacons in the city, these large, double-hearted flowers, conceived for the imposing scale of the capital, confront the viewer with imaginary transformations of the natural world. A poetic exploration of the future of our ecosystems, Future Herbarium encourages viewers to reflect on the reasons for these alterations, blurring the boundaries between nature and culture, rural and urban.

FUTURE HERBARIUM – DIGITAL CITY TOWERS, RIYADH, 2023©Laurent Grasso
Commissioned by RCRC and Riyadh Art