Precious Okoyomon Transforms MoMA PS1 Courtyard with 25-Foot Teddy Bear Slide and Living Garden

Artist Precious Okoyomon has unveiled a significant and immersive outdoor installation at New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) PS1, titled "Among the Flowers I Learned to Love: A Garden of Decreation." This ambitious artwork, which holds the distinction of being the inaugural Courtyard Commission at the renowned institution, will be accessible to the public for an extended period of two years, offering a dynamic and evolving experience. The installation fundamentally reconfigures the museum's courtyard, transforming it into a "playground of pleasures" that intricately weaves together lush horticultural elements with compelling sculptural and sonic components. Precious Okoyomon, a New York-based artist who has garnered recognition for their distinctive approach to creating intricate garden landscapes and their signature "cute-creepy" stuffed animal sculptures, has meticulously cultivated a living forest within the MoMA PS1 courtyard. This verdant space is not merely decorative; it is a carefully constructed ecosystem comprising approximately 1,500 perennials and plants, a testament to the artist's collaborative spirit, co-cultivated with the expertise of Rhode Island nursery issima. A key feature of Okoyomon's horticultural design is the deliberate juxtaposition of oppositional species, including both native and invasive plants, which are encouraged to grow in close proximity. This intentional arrangement fosters an environment where pollinators and butterflies are actively encouraged to thrive, creating a vibrant and active ecosystem. This approach challenges conventional notions of cultivation, order, and coexistence, powerfully reflecting Okoyomon's overarching artistic vision of life as a state of constant flux and transformation. The conceptual underpinnings of the installation are deeply informed by the philosopher Simone Weil's concept of "decreation" – a philosophical idea that speaks to the continuous process of the world's making and unmaking, a cycle of creation and dissolution. As the plants within the garden naturally evolve, grow, and shift with the changing seasons, the artwork aims to draw attention to critical environmental and social themes. These include the vital concepts of adaptation, resilience in the face of adversity, and the increasingly uncertain future of urban nature, particularly in the context of rapidly shifting global climates. At the very heart of this multifaceted installation is a striking and interactive sculpture titled "The Pleasure Principle." This monumental piece measures an impressive 25 feet in length and is designed to invite direct visitor engagement. Participants are encouraged to climb into a large, inviting teddy bear figure. Once inside, they are able to listen to Precious Okoyomon reciting their original poetry while simultaneously experiencing the sensation of sliding down a vivid, blood-red slide, ultimately exiting the sculpture through its mouth. The teddy bear motif itself is a recurring and significant element within Okoyomon's artistic oeuvre. It is frequently employed to symbolize ideals of pleasure, innocence, and comfort, while also embodying the complex and often ambiguous liminal space that exists between internal psychological worlds and external reality, drawing conceptual parallels to psychoanalytic theories, notably those of Donald Winnicott, who explored the transitional object. "Among the Flowers I Learned to Love: A Garden of Decreation" is now open to the public free of charge in New York City, marking a significant and highly anticipated new commission for MoMA PS1, further solidifying its commitment to supporting innovative contemporary art.