The Brooklyn Botanic Garden (BBG)’s latest exhibition may not be aimed at human visitors, but you are invited to take a closer look... The Pollinator Lounge, open from May 24–October 20, 2024, is an art installation designed specifically for BBG’s smallest patrons: insects!

The project was conceived by Joyce Hwang and Nerea Feliz, inspired by their 2023 Multispecies Lounge commissioned by the Bentway Conservancy in Toronto. The concept was to create a “lounge” as a space not only for human enjoyment, but also to amplify the habitat conditions for some of the neighborhood’s nonhuman species.

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For its second iteration, Hwang and Feliz shifted their focus to insect pollinators. They decided to enhance the educational component of the project by integrating it into their studio classes at the University at Buffalo and The University of Texas at Austin. Students were given the following prompt: Create a three-dimensional artifact that considers how insect pollinators live, what might provide them with shelter from the elements and predators, and what conditions might offer resources.
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The students designed each installation piece to be species-specific, with each piece featuring a QR code that provides insight into the design and the species it serves. The pieces also feature UV-reflective graphics that shift appearance under UV light, mimicking natural patterns, providing perspective into how insects perceive their environment.

“The Pollinator Lounge demonstrates how even minor interventions in the urban environment can significantly impact our experience in the city and how we share public space with others—in this case, nonhuman species," the curators shared.

On the Garden's side, the concept began with its education department, which often explores insects and their evolutionary connection with plants. “One of the big goals was to have New Yorkers get to know their insect pollinator neighbors, and maybe become a little less fearful of them,” said Kate Fermoile, Brooklyn Botanic Garden Director of Exhibitions and Interpretation. “We know that they’re in great decline, so we wanted to make that connection between people and insects.” 

The exhibitions team was inspired to develop an art installation similar to the Garden’s 2022 For the Birds exhibition. From there, the idea for a series of “insect hotels” emerged. During her research, Fermoile happened upon Hwang, whom BBG had previously collaborated with on a birdhouse project for the past exhibition.

“A key issue for my students was to explore design by considering another species’ point of view,” Hwang shared. “By researching and attempting to understand nonhuman habitat conditions, my hope was for students to think about spatial and architectural design in a more expanded way.”

“The strength of this garden is that we are deeply enmeshed and rooted in our urban community,” said Brooklyn Botanic Garden President Adrian Benepe, highlighting the Garden's commitment to fostering connections between people and their urban environment. The installation also serves to bridge this connection; Feliz hopes that visitors walk away with “a sense of admiration for [pollinators’] contribution to the natural environment and their resilience in an urban setting.”

Despite being a temporary exhibition, the Pollinator Lounge is designed with sustainability in mind. Constructed using renewable materials like red cedar and river cobbles, the installation will eventually find a permanent home at the University at Buffalo, where it will continue to serve local pollinators.

The installation has already had some unexpected outcomes. As Felix noted, “Just like architects can never fully predict how people will interact with the built environment, one of the biggest surprises of this project has been the unexpected ways the Pollinator Lounge has been used by nonhumans. For instance, this summer, a little house wren moved in and raised her two babies in a habitat that was originally intended for the Five-Spotted Hawk Moth!”

Visitors are encouraged to engage with the exhibit, explore the narratives crafted by students, and reflect on their own interactions with urban ecosystems. As Hwang puts it, “…there is a lot that we can do through storytelling, especially in terms of creating a sense of empathy with those who are not like us, i.e.,animals.”

Checkout the program’s website to hear first-“person” accounts from six pollinators, including the primrose moth and the common bumble bee, written by students at the University of Buffalo and voiced by BBG staff and guides.

 
The Pollinator Lounge is part of BBG’s Natural Attractions exhibition and program series, which also features a kid-friendly exhibit in the Discovery Garden, a comprehensive exhibit in the Conservatory Gallery, and several tours, performances, and activities ongoing through October 20.

“We’ve noticed that oftentimes people tend to swat insects away when they are sitting outdoors,” the curators shared. “But how are we going to enhance urban biodiversity if we continue to feel repulsion or fear toward them? The Lounge invites you to sit next to solitary bee habitats and other pollinator spaces, encouraging us all to feel more comfortable in the presence of our non-human community members. By bringing people and pollinators together, we hope that the project encourages a broader sense of belonging and community.”