Science, history and sound art coalesce in ‘Botanical Resonance’ exhibition

The Missouri Botanical Garden offers striking views no matter the season. Now, patrons are being asked to notice the sounds it has to offer, too.

The garden’s new exhibition, “Botanical Resonance: Plants and Sounds in the Garden,” exists where art and science intersect — and each detail is informed by something sonic. It opened on Friday at the Stephen and Peter Sachs Museum.

Its curator, Nezka Pfeifer, told St. Louis On The Air that her inspiration for “Botanical Resonance” came from her introduction to sound walks — a type of sound art that invites participants to deeply engage with the sounds around them as they walk through their environment.

Pfeifer and Kappner met in Amsterdam at an arts conference where Kappner led workshops about sound art and soundwalks.

“[Kappner] has so much training in shamanic studies, horticulture therapy and using plants as a way to connect to the earth,” Pfeifer said. “I was very lucky to participate in her guided meditations.”