Rhizomatic

Site-responsive multimedia installation bridging Indigenous knowledge systems and botanical science through immersive textile environments

Exhibition Overview

Rhizomatic is a site-responsive installation that creates immersive environments through modular textile works, weaving together Indigenous botanical knowledge with contemporary artistic expression. The work adapts fluidly to each venue's unique architectural, cultural, and ecological context.

Awards & Support

Chicago Botanic Garden

Commissioned Artist

City of Austin

Elevate Grant Recipient

UNESCO

City of Media Arts Grant

Exhibition History

Chicago Botanic Garden

Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden and the Farm on Ogden • September - November 2024

Medium: Installation art, digital prints on linen, photography, collage, graphic design, and illustration

Rhizomatic is a collaborative art installation between Essentials Creative collective and the scientists and staff at the Chicago Botanic Garden. The project is inspired by the rhizome as a philosophical concept developed by theorists Deleuze and Guattari. The installation weaves together cultural and scientific stories about diversity and collaboration. Featured plants in the artwork include ginkgo biloba, pawpaw, horsetail, white sage, eastern prairie fringed orchid, kernza, and amaranth. We aim to contribute to multicultural perspectives on plants, share the Garden's scientific research, and explore rhizomes as a metaphor for interconnectedness.

Austin Central Library

Roof Garden (6th Floor) • October 2–8, 2025

An immersive installation of 20 double-sided tapestries exploring native Texas plants through artistic interpretation and symbolic storytelling. Each tapestry weaves together contemporary Indigenous and immigrant perspectives with botanical research, creating layered connections between culture, ecology, and reciprocity with the land.

Featured Texas Native Plants:

  • Maguey - Ancient sustainer reimagined through contemporary Latinx and Indigenous lenses
  • Nopal - Border-crossing survivor, symbol of resilience for immigrant communities
  • Purple Coneflower - Medicine transformed into metaphor for cultural healing
  • Amaranth - Sacred grain reborn as symbol of cultural revival and resistance
  • Chili Pequin - Wild fire carrier, connecting ancestral knowledge to contemporary identity

Featured Works

Rhizomatic installation view at Chicago Botanic Garden showing suspended textile works with botanical imagery
Detail view of Rhizomatic textile work featuring Indigenous plant knowledge and cultural symbolism
Wide angle view of complete Rhizomatic installation showing collaborative textile and botanical research

Installation Documentation

Explore our immersive installations across different venues and cultural contexts

Chicago Botanic Garden

Chicago Botanic Garden installation featuring collaborative textile works exploring plant diversity
Rhizomatic exhibition entrance showing large-scale botanical textile installations
Close-up view of Rhizomatic textile details featuring native plant illustrations and cultural patterns

Austin Central Library

Overhead view of Rhizomatic installation at Austin Central Library rooftop with MEZL and plant name textiles under solar panels
Side view of Austin rooftop installation showing textile works integrated with urban garden environment
Wide overhead view of complete Austin installation showing multiple hanging textiles under solar canopy with city skyline
Austin Central Library rooftop installation featuring colorful hanging textiles with Texas native plant themes
Close-up view of Austin textile installation showing detailed plant name labels and cultural design elements
Angular view of hanging textiles under solar panel grid showing integration of sustainable technology with art
Detail shot of Rhizomatic textile work featuring botanical illustrations and Indigenous design patterns
Evening view of Austin Central Library rooftop installation with illuminated textiles and urban landscape backdrop

High-resolution images and complete documentation available upon request

Process & Collaboration

Behind the scenes: Creating site-responsive installations through research and community engagement

Botanical Research

Collaborating with scientists and Indigenous knowledge keepers to understand plant stories from multiple perspectives

Textile Production

Digital printing on sustainable linen, creating double-sided tapestries that reveal different narratives from each perspective

Community Engagement

Workshops and educational programming connecting diverse communities with botanical heritage and environmental stewardship

About Essentials Creative

Essentials Creative: Indigenous American, Latin American, and Asian artists creating new narratives about belonging and place. We blend cultural reclamation with artistic innovation, building contemporary folklore that honors the past while imagining alternative relationships with Texas landscapes.

Our collaborative multimedia installations bridge cultural knowledge systems with contemporary artistic practice, creating spaces for cultural dialogue and environmental awareness through immersive experiences that have been exhibited at major botanical gardens, libraries, and cultural institutions across the United States.

Learn more about the collective →

Contact

For exhibition inquiries, technical specifications, or educational programming:

essentialscreative@gmail.com