The New York Botanical Garden is set to debut a new installation that they say is one of their most unique collections in years.

Among the array of flowers and lush landscape that span across the gardens, a new exhibition stands out titled “Things Come To Thrive… In the Shedding… In The Molting”.  

The visual artist behind this work, Ebony Patterson, created the exhibit using the garden’s living and preserved plant collection as materials to form an immersive body of work including sculptures, installations, and visual aspects not typically seen in the garden setting. 

“Molting is a process that happens with birds when they are changing their feathers,” said Patterson. “It’s an ugly moment, it’s an undressing, so to speak, but something beautiful comes out of that.” 

Patterson says the installation also reflects the different gatherings of people and how they socialize with each other in group settings.  

“With the social behaviors that would happen with a gathering and thinking about the activities they are incredibly social, and they are caring and devoted in the terms of the way they live with each other,” said Patterson.  

Patterson’s work can also be found inside the New York Botanical Garden’s library building. 

The exhibition opens to the public this Saturday and will be available through Sept. 17.