{"id":8797,"date":"2026-10-20T15:15:39","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T22:15:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=8797"},"modified":"2026-10-20T15:15:39","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T22:15:39","slug":"alvaro-urbano-honors-the-lost-specimens-of-mexico-citys-iconic-casa-cueva","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/?p=8797","title":{"rendered":"\u00c1lvaro Urbano Honors the Lost Specimens of Mexico City\u2019s Iconic Casa Cueva"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/urbano-4.jpeg\" alt=\"\u00c1lvaro Urbano Honors the Lost Specimens of Mexico City\u2019s Iconic Casa Cueva\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Nested in a natural lava cave in Mexico City\u2019s Pedregal de San \u00c1ngel region, a sprawling, mosaic-laden domicile was once home to Juan and Helen Fowler O\u2019Gorman, an architect and artist, respectively. The pair designed the icon of modernist Mexican architecture, called Casa Cueva, in 1954, although it was <a href=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/the-contentious-history-of-a-lost-cave-house-in-mexico-city\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">largely destroyed<\/a> after the couple sold the home in 1969.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fundacionjumex.org\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Museo Jumex<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/alvarourbano.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u00c1lvaro Urbano<\/a> presents an homage to the innovations of Casa Cueva, drawing on its gardens and the legacy that Helen left behind, particularly through her 1961 book titled <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nybg.org\/planttalk\/womens-history-month-spotlight-on-helen-ogorman\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mexican Flowering Trees and Plants<\/a><\/em>. Written and illustrated while she lived at Casa Cueva, the rich volume documented a variety of the region\u2019s native specimens. For Urbano, these vegetal renderings became the basis of a new body of metal sculptures.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/urbano-14.jpg\" alt=\"suspended botanical sculptures by alvaro urbano\" class=\"wp-image-478680\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Installation view of \u2018\u00c1lvaro Urbano: Helen\u2019 at Museo Jumex (2026). Photo by<br \/>Ramiro Ch\u00e1vez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The artist\u2019s solo exhibition, <em>Helen<\/em>, suspends his signature <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/tags\/alvaro-urbano\/\">painted plants<\/a> in a delicate arrangement. Floating against a diaphanous curtain, the lifelike sculptures appear almost as apparitions, hovering in mid-air to guide viewers through the dreamy space.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Each specimen is based off of one that appeared in Helen\u2019s book, and a site-specific installation reveals variegated stone amid a floor of square pavers. Like Casa Cueva, the exhibition unfolds organically, creating a continual dialogue between space, plants, and those able to witness both.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Helen<\/em> is on view through February 7. Explore more of Urbano\u2019s work on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/alvaro_urbano\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2501\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/urbano-13.jpg\" alt=\"suspended botanical sculptures by alvaro urbano\" class=\"wp-image-478679\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Installation view of \u2018\u00c1lvaro Urbano: Helen\u2019 at Museo Jumex (2026). Photo by<br \/>Ramiro Ch\u00e1vez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/urbano-12.jpg\" alt=\"a site specific installation with loose stone and pavers and suspended florals\" class=\"wp-image-478678\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Installation view of \u2018\u00c1lvaro Urbano: Helen\u2019 at Museo Jumex (2026). Photo by<br \/>Ramiro Ch\u00e1vez<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2666\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/urbano-2.jpeg\" alt=\"in progress botanical sculptures by alvaro urbano\" class=\"wp-image-478668\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Studio view (2026). Photo by Agust\u00edn Far\u00edas, \u00a9 the artist, ChertL\u00fcdde, Marian Goodman, and Traves\u00eda Cuatro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/urbano-5.jpeg\" alt=\"suspended botanical sculptures by alvaro urbano\" class=\"wp-image-478671\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Studio view (2026). Photo by Agust\u00edn Far\u00edas, \u00a9 the artist, ChertL\u00fcdde, Marian Goodman, and Traves\u00eda Cuatro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/urbano-6.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-478672\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Studio view (2026). Photo by Agust\u00edn Far\u00edas, \u00a9 the artist, ChertL\u00fcdde, Marian Goodman, and Traves\u00eda Cuatro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/urbano-7.jpeg\" alt=\"in progress botanical sculptures by alvaro urbano\" class=\"wp-image-478673\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Studio view (2026). Photo by Agust\u00edn Far\u00edas, \u00a9 the artist, ChertL\u00fcdde, Marian Goodman, and Traves\u00eda Cuatro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/urbano-10.jpeg\" alt=\"suspended botanical sculptures by alvaro urbano\" class=\"wp-image-478676\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Studio view (2026). Photo by Agust\u00edn Far\u00edas, \u00a9 the artist, ChertL\u00fcdde, Marian Goodman, and Traves\u00eda Cuatro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/urbano-3.jpeg\" alt=\"in progress botanical sculptures by alvaro urbano\" class=\"wp-image-478669\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Studio view (2026). Photo by Agust\u00edn Far\u00edas, \u00a9 the artist, ChertL\u00fcdde, Marian Goodman, and Traves\u00eda Cuatro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2666\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/urbano-9.jpeg\" alt=\"suspended botanical sculptures by alvaro urbano in a studio\" class=\"wp-image-478675\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Studio view (2026). Photo by Agust\u00edn Far\u00edas, \u00a9 the artist, ChertL\u00fcdde, Marian Goodman, and Traves\u00eda Cuatro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/urbano-8.jpeg\" alt=\"in progress botanical sculptures by alvaro urbano\" class=\"wp-image-478674\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Studio view (2026). Photo by Agust\u00edn Far\u00edas, \u00a9 the artist, ChertL\u00fcdde, Marian Goodman, and Traves\u00eda Cuatro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/urbano-1.jpeg\" alt=\"a worktable with botanical sculptures and paint a shelf above\" class=\"wp-image-478667\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Studio view (2026). Photo by Agust\u00edn Far\u00edas, \u00a9 the artist, ChertL\u00fcdde, Marian Goodman, and Traves\u00eda Cuatro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"2000\" height=\"2667\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/urbano-11.jpeg\" alt=\"a man in a dark blue overshirt and undershirt and brown pants stands with his hands in his pockets next to a suspended botanical sculpture and a sheet\" class=\"wp-image-478677\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00c1lvaro Urbano (2026). Photo by Agust\u00edn Far\u00edas, \u00a9 the artist, ChertL\u00fcdde, Marian Goodman, and Traves\u00eda Cuatro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/members\">Colossal Member<\/a> today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/2026\/10\/alvaro-urbano-metal-sculptures-casa-cueva-helen\/\">\u00c1lvaro Urbano Honors the Lost Specimens of Mexico City\u2019s Iconic Casa Cueva<\/a> appeared first on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thisiscolossal.com\/\">Colossal<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nested in a natural lava cave in Mexico City\u2019s Pedregal de San \u00c1ngel region, a sprawling, mosaic-laden domicile was once home to Juan and Helen Fowler O\u2019Gorman, an architect and&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8797","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8797","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8797"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8797\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catbradley.io\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}