Botanical Revolution
Tamara Kostianovsky (Argentine-American, b. Israel, 1974). Between Wounds and Folds as seen in solo exhibition at Smack Mellon, 2021. Courtesy of the artist and SLAG & RX, New York and Paris. Photo: Etienne Frossard for Smack Mellon.
September 7, 2023 – April 7, 2024
Located on the first floor of The Baker Museum
Artist Tamara Kostianovsky utilizes repurposed clothing and other textiles to create dynamic works of sculpture that reference humankind’s connections to nature by echoing the forms of birds, tree stumps, plants and cow carcasses. Some works, such as her suspended cow carcass sculptures, demonstrate the artist’s concerns about consumption. Others, including her colorful bird- and plant-filled wall panels, reference 18th-century French wallpaper patterns and comment on the exoticization of the Americas by Europeans during the colonial era. This exhibition, the artist’s first in the southeastern United States, will include new work inspired by the bird and plant life of Southwest Florida.
Brooklyn-based Latinx artist Tamara Kostianovsky was born in Jerusalem, Israel, and grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions at El Museo del Barrio and The Jewish Museum, New York; Bienal Sur, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Fuller Craft Museum, Massachusetts; and many others. The artist has received awards and residencies from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the New York Foundation for the Arts, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation and Yaddo. Kostianovsky’s work is included in the collection of El Museo del Barrio, New York and in numerous private collections in the United States, Canada and Europe. She is represented by SLAG & RX, New York and Paris.
Visit the Exhibition
Reserve your museum tickets online.
Museum Admission
Selected Works
Tamara Kostianovsky (Argentine-American, b. Israel, 1974). Textile Jungle, 2022. Discarded textiles on wood, 96 x 56 x 6 in. Courtesy of the artist and SLAG & RX, New York and Paris. Photo: Roni Mocan.
Tamara Kostianovsky (Argentine-American, b. Israel, 1974). Red Wood, 2018. Discarded clothing, 59 x 40 x 62 in. Courtesy of the artist and SLAG & RX, New York and Paris. Photo: Roni Mocan.
Tamara Kostianovsky (Argentine-American, b. Israel, 1974). Blood Jungle, 2022. Discarded textiles on wood, 72 x 48 x 16 in. Courtesy of the artist and SLAG & RX, New York and Paris. Photo: Roni Mocan.
Tamara Kostianovsky (Argentine-American, b. Israel, 1974). Becoming Native, 2022. Discarded textiles on wood, 72 x 48 x 7 in. Courtesy of the artist and SLAG & RX, New York and Paris. Photo: Tamara Kostianovsky.
Tamara Kostianovsky (Argentine-American, b. Israel, 1974). The Conference of the Birds, 2021. Discarded textiles and acrylic nails, 48 x 94 x 7 in. Courtesy of the artist and SLAG & RX, New York and Paris. Photo: JC Cancedda.
Tamara Kostianovsky (Argentine-American, b. Israel, 1974). Uprooted, 2021. Clothing belonging to the artist’s father, textiles, wood, 64 x 48 x 34 in. Courtesy of the artist and SLAG & RX, New York and Paris. Photo: Roni Mocan.
Exhibition Experience
Sounds of Nature
Tamara Kostianovsky draws endless inspiration from nature, and birds are a particularly important recurring element in her work. This type of cross-pollination is not unique to the visual arts, and composers throughout history have drawn inspiration from birdsong as they composed music ranging from symphonies to chamber music. In celebration of this multidisciplinary connection, Naples Philharmonic Associate Conductor Radu Paponiu has curated a playlist of bird-inspired classical music for you to enjoy as you view the exhibition or to listen to later on!
Want more than a preview? Create a free account at Spotify to listen to the full Botanical Revolution playlist.
Associated Events
Tamara Kostianovsky: Botanical Revolution is organized by Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum and curated by Courtney McNeil, museum director and chief curator.
This event is part of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB festival
