From February 23 to June 30, 2023, the exhibition “Mutis, the expedition continues” can be seen at the Museo de Antioquia, which is carried out in agreement with the Botanical Garden of Medellín and the Royal Botanical Garden-CSIC of Madrid.
This exhibition in a collaborative effort to make visible the scientific, cultural and artistic value of the Royal Botanical Expedition of the New Kingdom of Granada, commanded by José Celestino Mutis and Francisco José de Caldas in 1783, and seeks to pay tribute to the enormous diversity of forests of Colombia, recreating the past and generating conversations about the present and the future of the natural species discovered in said expedition.
“Today, more than two centuries after the Royal Botanical Expedition of the New Kingdom of Granada, the inventory of Colombian plants continues to be a national priority. We are happy to bring this exhibition to Medellín for the first time, which represents one of the most important botanical works in the world, with which we hope to generate different conversations and reflections around our biodiversity and infect Colombians with emotion. so that they do not miss out on the opportunity, probably unique, to discover and admire these pieces where art and science are protagonists”, explains Claudia García, director of the Medellín Botanical Garden.
An exhibition resulting from the institutional link between Colombia and Spain
The alliance between the Botanical Garden of Medellín, the Museum of Antioquia and the Royal Botanical Garden-CSIC of Madrid, represents a multipurpose cultural project, to disseminate some tangible productions of the Royal Botanical Expedition of the New Kingdom of Granada.
“After learning about the initiative to bring some of the works of the Mutis Expedition to the country, and understanding the importance of democratizing knowledge, concerns, perceptions and reflections around our flora, the Museum is linked to ensure the proper conservation of the pieces and offer a unique experience where its visitors will not only be able to learn about the Expedition, but also enjoy its thermal floors and ecosystems during the tour. We invite all the public who are friends of science, art and culture to rediscover this Expedition with us”, says María del Rosario Escobar, director of the Museum of Antioquia.
The museographic pieces of the exhibition, by Dubán Canal Gallego (Climate and Land Use Alliance), Esther García Guillén (Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid) and Marcela Pérez Ramírez (Botanical Garden of Medellín); have been chosen and requested as a loan to universities, academies, botanical gardens and museums in Colombia and Spain, including the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid, where the original drawings of the Royal Botanical Expedition of the New Kingdom of Granada are preserved, available to the whole world through the “Mutis Collection” platform hosted on the RJB-CSIC website.
“The exhibition is a demonstration of the union and institutional cooperation between Colombia and Spain, and also proof of the importance and value of linking art and science through characters who left us a universal legacy such as José Celestino Mutis and Francisco José from Caldas. An exhibition, in short, that exemplifies quality, beauty and scientific and botanical rigor”, the three managers agree that, with the exhibition, they hope to arouse interest, reflections and debate on the importance of Colombian biodiversity.
The director of the Real Jardín Botánico-CSIC of Madrid, Esteban Manrique Reol, has also referred to cooperation, “Collaboration between countries is essential for the most rapid advancement of science and culture. With this exhibition we break the walls of isolation of shared heritage to raise awareness and spread knowledge”, he also adds that “The collection, excellently preserved, helps us to make visible how the alliance between science and art can open paths for scientific cooperation” .
What will be seen in the exhibition?
Specimens of the plants collected during the Expedition, finds by Francisco José de Caldas and a selection of carefully chosen drawings made by the artists’ workshop are some of the pieces that can be found in the exhibition.
The selection of pieces from the Royal Botanical Exhibition is made up of 23 original drawings, 2 natural prints (ectypas), 3 specimens from the Mutis herbarium and a handwritten letter from Francisco Antonio Zea to Antonio José Cavanilles.
An honorary commission of scientists from Colombia, Spain and the United States participated in the selection process, most of whom are familiar with the diversity of plants in Colombia and have experience studying the drawings of the Royal Botanical Expedition of the New Kingdom of Grenada and its taxonomic identity.
It may also interest you: The formula that managed to stop the feared inflation in the center