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Published at 2:57pm
The Lyric Opera's The Pearl Fishers transcends its source....
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Enter Garfield Park Conservatory’s new exhibit, and you’re greeted by a boulder that reads, “Air carries many things in many forms to many places.” It’s an evocative message written in earth-tones, nearly blending in with the lush landscape surrounding it: Indian cardamom plants, Brazilian pineapple bushes, a Costa Rican chewing-gum tree and gnarled steel “branches” that twist above and around the paths crisscrossing the exhibit greenhouse.
The boulder’s lyrical aesthetic sums up “Sugar from the Sun,” the conservatory’s $2.7 million tribute to photosynthesis. The exhibit tells the story of the process by which plants take in air, water and sunlight, and turn them into sugar-energy—sans complicated diagrams and wordy placards. Instead, four sections (Air, Water, Sunlight, Sugar) present the visitor with an organic, multi-sensory experience of this intricate process. For instance, the Water section features a cascading waterfall, eschewing complex chemical formulas. Just feeling the spray—which helps give hundreds of leaves around you the strength they need to turn sunlight into fuel—is powerful.
While these experiential effects won’t leave you with a firm understanding of the hard science of photosynthesis, “Sugar from the Sun” fosters an appreciation for the wonder of nature. And it seems to be no accident that this exhibit opened in the heart of winter: It’s one of this Vitamin D–deficient city’s few oases from snow, snow and more snow-—and it will be for winters to come.
Madeline Nusser
Thu, Mar 27, at 10:19am
Unfortunately we didn't have space to address every element in the exhibit, but reviewer Rachel Devitt had mentioned that the nature sounds by field recorder Mike Lapchik were one of the highlights of the show.
Marta Greenspan
Thu, Mar 13, at 09:30pm
I'm curious why your review didn't mention the sound. It's one of the coolest aspects of the exhibit. Agree it doesn't quite tell the story of photosynthesis, but it's great nonetheless.
