At the Guggenheim, In the Garden of Good and Evil
Posted in Programs and Events on May 21 2013, by Ann Rafalko
Since ancient times, all cultures have used plants as a source of medicine, from a European willow tree that produces the active ingredient in aspirin to the Pacific yew, the source of the cancer fighting drug Taxol. Many of these plants straddle a fine line between helpful and harmful.
A few years ago it was discovered that flowers in the genus Narcissus, also known as the cheery yellow common daffodil, contain a compound that may help combat dementia. But, as anyone who has ever battled garden pests will tell you, one of the reasons that daffodils are common and beloved by gardeners is because they contain a toxic compound that keeps critters at bay, so you certainly do not want to walk out to your backyard, dig up a bulb and take a bite out of it in order to gird your brain against future memory loss.
That’s the thing about medicinal plants: they can both save and kill. They can be used for spiritual healing as well as physical healing. This healing dichotomy is the focus of an exciting upcoming event being produced in cooperation with the Guggenheim Museum and the New York City Ballet. “Garden of Good and Evil: Harmful and Healing Properties of Plants” is an interdisciplinary presentation that combines performing arts and science.
