Xavier Cortada’s Flor500 and Four Elements will now be featured in the permanent collection of the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum. The display will feature a complete documentation of the project, including illustrations, essays and the research used to create Flor500’s formation.
Know for his environmentally-oriented artwork, the museum’s education department hopes to use Cortada’s pieces to further its mission to provide learning experiences on Florida’s history and ecosystem. The work is also intended to raise awareness on conservation efforts and taking action to combat global climate change.
Cortada’s project begins in 2013 to honor Florida’s quincentennial. He worked with local historians, artists and public-school systems to implement activities throughout Florida to commemorate the state’s history and indigenous wildlife.
After identifying 500 indigenous flowers, he asked 500 artists to produce wildlife illustrations and partnered with local school systems to create 500 indigenous flower gardens dedicated to 500 important figures in Florida’s history.
