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A lush Korean forest is now growing in the Meatpacking District—figuratively at least. "The Forest Within," an immersive exhibition, is open for free at Genesis House through June 29.
With a focus on wellness, none other than wellness guru and goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow put her personal stamp on the experience. She helped to design and develop the exhibition with renowned floral designer Jeff Leatham. Paltrow even narrates the journey, which follows a tiger through a flourishing sanctuary reminiscent of the Sobaek Mountains.
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Paltrow reimagined the basement-level space as a holistic, immersive environment meant to ground and heal guests through nature. "The Forest Within" aims to slow the senses and balance the mind—something we could all likely use a little more of these days.
You'll get a chance to walk through a scaled interpretation of a Korean forest filled with greenery and natural elements. Then, with Paltrow's voice as your guide, you'll head through a maze of rocky formations and lush greenery. The adventure concludes with a meditation meadow where guests can reflect and practice mindfulness around a reflection pool. Expect digital visuals, sounds, smells and textures to help make the experience truly immersive.
Keep an eye out for the use of peonies throughout the space. Not only are they in season right about now, they're also Paltrow's favorite flower.
"I've always been drawn to the ways technology can deepen our connection to wellness, and with 'The Forest Within,' Genesis House has elevated that idea into something truly transportive. There are very few places to encounter this kind of immersive, meditative experience, especially in the heart of New York City. Collaborating on this project has been an incredible opportunity to push the boundaries of what wellness can look and feel like, and I'm thrilled to invite people into this serene, multisensory world we've created," Paltrow said in a press release.
“There are very few places to encounter this kind of immersive, meditative experience, especially in the heart of New York City.”
Genesis House is becoming known for creating truly cool immersive exhibits, always with a link to the Genesis car brand's Korean heritage. This winter, they hosted a light installation called STARSCAPE inspired by the Korean winter solstice. Last year, a Genesis House exhibition called BLOOMTANICA, which featured Korea's national flower, drew long lines to see the free show.
"Together with the creative vision of Gwyneth Paltrow, our shared passion for audacious design comes to life as we honor the brand’s cultural roots in the latest seasonal installation at Genesis House," Tedros Mengiste, chief operating officer of Genesis Motor North America, said in a press release.
If you want to take the experience to the next level, make a reservation at the on-site restaurant, with food and drink inspired by the exhibition. The menu includes mugwort gulrim mandu, a Korean spring dumpling made with tiger-striped mandu sheets, reminiscent of the installation’s tiger motifs. As for cocktails, there's the ginseng petrichor, a soju-based cocktail inspired by the scent of rain, blending green tea vodka, ginseng, astragalus, pyogo, nokcha, doraji and pear syrup, and orange blossom water.
"The Forest Within" is on view now through June 29. It's free to visit with no reservations required. Find it at Genesis House (40A 10th Ave. in the Meatpacking District).