Cempasúchil, the marigold at the heart of Día de Muertos, now rises seven tiers above a Manhattan plaza. Its orange petals are built from handwoven wicker, and this día de muertos altar is open to anyone who walks by.
Daniel Valero designed the installation, titled Twenty Petal Flower. The Flatiron NoMad Partnership commissioned the work, which was produced through a collaboration between Valero’s Mexico-based studio, Mestiz, and Brooklyn-based fabrication organization Powerhouse Arts. It is on view in Flatiron North Plaza through Nov. 3.
In Mexican tradition, the marigold’s vivid petals and strong scent are believed to guide the spirits of loved ones home. The installation reimagines the ofrenda, or día de muertos altar, as a public gathering place where visitors can leave mementos for people they have lost.
Traditions like this one also find their way into museum settings, as the Marquette exhibitions show. African identity and tradition exhibitions at Marquette offer another look at how cultural heritage is shared with new audiences.
Valero wanted the piece to honor more than the dead. “An altar usually honors someone we love who has passed away,” Valero says. “This time, I wanted to honor the many hands behind the cempasúchil, from the people who grow it to those who transform it into an ofrenda.”
From Michoacán fields to a Manhattan plaza
The installation takes its name from cempōhualxōchitl, a Nahuatl word meaning “20-petal flower.” The Spanish name cempasúchil comes from it. The design traces the flower’s path from the fields of Michoacán to the artisans who turn it into the arrangements that fill every día de muertos altar.
The main challenge was scale. Valero wanted to turn something delicate and short-lived into a large structure without losing its cultural meaning or its handmade character. “With Twenty Petal Flower, we used weaving and scale to transform something delicate and temporary into a monumental structure,” he says.
The oversized flowers are woven primarily from wicker using traditional techniques. Their rounded forms are arranged across the seven tiers, creating a dense composition of orange petals illuminated by warm, candle-like lighting. Visitors are encouraged to spend time with the altar and add their own remembrances.
Mestiz produced the woven elements at its fiber workshop in Tequisquiapan, Mexico. Powerhouse Arts then built a supporting framework that could handle an outdoor public site in a busy Manhattan plaza. The teams exchanged CNC-cut samples, texture tests, and paint color matches across the border to keep this día de muertos altar true to Valero’s design.
Structure was a central concern. “We wanted the internal structure to support the woven flowers without overpowering them,” says Brittni Collins, director of public art at Powerhouse Arts. “So we built a steel frame with a slim profile and color-matched it to the cempasúchil orange so it could hide behind the weavings. The flowers were secured with stainless steel zip ties that hold up to wind and weather.”
The team also planned for the piece’s future. Powerhouse Arts developed a modular system that can be disassembled, stored, and reinstalled for later celebrations, rather than a structure built for one season.
A día de muertos altar built for the public
Despite its size, the altar is meant to feel inviting. Visitors are encouraged to walk up to it, spend time with it, and add their own remembrances. “I love the idea of someone walking through Flatiron NoMad and suddenly discovering this joyful, vibrant, handmade monument,” Valero says.
Public art that invites people to linger has a similar goal of changing how a neighborhood feels. Nick Cave’s Soundsuits in public spaces show how sculptural costumes can turn everyday city locations into lively stages.
The Flatiron NoMad Partnership sees the project as a change to how the plaza functions. “The scale and openness of Flatiron North Plaza gave us an opportunity to create something immersive and unexpected in the middle of the neighborhood’s everyday rhythm,” says James Mettham, president of the Flatiron NoMad Partnership. “It changes how people move through it, invites them to stop and look more closely, and introduces them to the stories and traditions behind the work.”
For Valero, the installation also opens a door for cultural exchange. People who already know dia de muertos can honor it, and New Yorkers who do not can learn what it means. “I hope it brings a little piece of home to the Mexican community while inviting everyone in New York to share in the beauty of Día de Muertos,” he says.
Source: design-milk.com
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Twenty Petal Flower altar on view in Manhattan?
The installation is on view in Flatiron North Plaza through Nov. 3. It is open to anyone who walks by.
Who designed the Twenty Petal Flower installation and who commissioned it?
Daniel Valero designed the installation, and the Flatiron NoMad Partnership commissioned it. It was produced through a collaboration between Valero’s Mexico-based studio, Mestiz, and Brooklyn-based Powerhouse Arts.
Where does the name Twenty Petal Flower come from?
The title comes from cempōhualxōchitl, a Nahuatl word meaning “20-petal flower.” The Spanish name cempasúchil, the marigold central to Día de Muertos, comes from it.
Can the Twenty Petal Flower altar be moved and reused later?
Yes, Powerhouse Arts developed a modular system that can be disassembled, stored, and reinstalled. This allows the structure to be used for later celebrations rather than built for only one season.
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