Chicago artist Dessa Kirk’s figurative sculpture group, The Daphne Garden, presents a strikingly contemporary and feminist reimagining of the ancient myth. In this video, Northwestern undergraduate Grace DeAngelis explains.
According to the myth, Daphne’s beauty caught the attention of the god Apollo. He chased her and she tried to evade him. Just before she was caught, she pleaded to the gods to save her and they transformed her into a laurel tree. The laurel became the sacred tree of Apollo. At the Pythian Games, held in honor of the god, winners were given a laurel crown.
Chicago Park District site about the Daphne Garden: First located in Grant Park, Daphne Garden was one of twenty-four Art in the Garden installations in Chicago’s parks in 2004. The Union League Club of Chicago sponsored the Art in the Gardens temporary exhibit. In this program, artists were asked to integrate plant material into their installations to create constantly changing displays. Daphne Garden was originally installed at the northeast corner of E. Roosevelt Road and S. Michigan Avenue. Artist Dessa Kirk created the artwork that features three female figures entwined with lush flowers and plants. Chicagoans and visitors had such positive reactions to Daphne Garden that the Chicago Park District decided to move the installation to Northerly Island in 2006.