Manolo Valdés Monumental Sculpture

Drawing inspiration from the Garden's natural landscape, acclaimed Spanish artist Manolo Valdés brings seven towering sculptures to five distinctive sites in a captivating showcase of the relationship between art and nature. Manolo Valdés has created new monumental sculptures that respond directly to the Garden's celebrated plant collections. Examples include Fiore, a 17-foot-high bronze and steel work inspired by oak and maple trees; Butterflies, a 50-foot-wide aluminum piece; and Ivy, a 15-foot-tall aluminum structure reminiscent of palm leaves.

The seven monumental, sculptural heads specifically created by the artist for this exhibition not only reference images from the past, but also draw inspiration from nature as can be seen in their headdresses, which include ferns, oak and maple leaves, windblown palms, and butterflies. The exhibition’s tour de force is the expansive 50-foot, bronze and cor-ten steel lattice work headdress of Alhambra, which creates a maze for the visitor to walk through and also pays tribute to Spain’s historic Alhambra in Granada with its stunning Moorish gardens and architecture dating to the 10th century. Read our recent review in the New York Times.

Docent-led Tours (Select Tours in Spanish)

Second and fourth Wednesday of each month, 1 p.m.
Join a docent-led tour of the Manolo Valdés sculptures set throughout the Garden grounds. Get involved in conversation surrounding individual works of art.

Self-Guided Tour

Choose your route through the sculpture exhibition across the grounds, and take a tour through the eyes of the artist with our free cellphone-based audio tour narrated by the artist's daughter. Print this brochure at home or request it from any ticket booth, and use the map to navigate between the sculptures. You will find a sign next to each sculpture with call-in information as well.

Maquette Display in the Library Building

Beginning in early November, the sculptor's maquettes will go on display in the Library Building's Orchid Rotunda. Maquettes are small-scale models of artworks which help the artist visualize and test shapes and ideas before producing a full-sized piece. See a slideshow of a few of the maquettes for Butterflies.

Sculptures sponsored by Marlborough

Additional support provided by Andrew and Linda Safran

Audio Tours sponsored by