Cristina Ochoa Art

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Ongoing Exhibitions:

Exposition name: Cosmic Seed Basket
KEW GARDENS,
Location: Wakehurst Kew Susex. U. K.
4 July – 14 September 2025

Site Specific installation:

4 meters long, by 2.70 Hight by 2.20 wide
Bamboo, metal structure Natural dyed cotton fabrics
Sound from the Erythrina Americana Seed
Voice Juana Gonzalez Tlapacoyan, Veracruz, Mexico
Weaving seeds Yolanda Sanchez, Tlapacoyan Veracruz, Mexico
Juana González -Traditional healer- Tlapacoyan, Veracruz. Mexico
Eduardo Benítez -Sound of the seed- Sound engineer, Mexico City
Juan Ignacio Cinich – Architect- Tulum, México
Emily Jones, curator and production manager “Seedscapes” 25th anniversary Millenium Seed Bank. Kew Gardens, Wakehurst, UK
Set works, – Production structure building- Croydon, UK.
Claudia López -Production manager on site- Tlapacoyan; Veracruz. México
Production team, Tlapacoyan; Veracruz
Martin Pimentel – cultural touristic promoter, and Totonaca leader – Pablo López -cultural promoter, Tlapacoyan México

Special Thanks:

– Marleen Boshen. Interdisciplinary research fellow, RBG Kew
– Berito Kuwaruba, Spiritual Leader, Uwa people, Colombia.
– Guadalupe Corona, Grandmother, Traditonal Healer, Tetla, Tlaxcala, Mexico
– Tata Cristóbal Cojti. Aljib. Guatemala
– Don Valerio Canché. X-Meen Merida, Yucatán, Mexico
– Tiziana Ulian, Kew Gardens, Millenium Seed Bank
– Isela Rodríguez, Kew Gardens, UNAM. Mexico City
– María Chavez, Kew Gardens, UNAM, Mexico City
– Silvia Bacci Millenium Seed Bank Kew Wakehurst, UK
– Gabina Sol Quintas, Pronatura Coatepec, Veracruz.
– Javier Calderon, Somers gallery, London, UK.

Related external articles:

– This summer, we invite you to explore Seedscapes:
https://www.kew.org/wakehurst/whats-on/seedscapes

Exposition name: Cosmic Seed Basket
Location: Somers Gallery
Opening: Saturday 12th July, 5 pm till late.

Description: Somers Gallery is pleased to present the exhibition Cosmic Seed Basket by Cristina Ochoa as part of the 10th anniversary of Somers Gallery. This exhibition is part of the installation ‘Cosmic Seed Basket’ commissioned by the Royal Botanical Gardens, Wakehurst as part of the Millennium Seed Bank on its 25th anniversary. The exhibition at Somers Gallery presents the process and documentation of the installation at Wakehurst along with other related Cosmic Basket Seed pieces.

Related external articles:

– Cosmic Seed Basket: Cristina Ochoa
https://somersgallery.com/the-cosmic-seed-basket

– Cosmic Seed Basket: Cristina Ochoa

Somers Gallery is pleased to present the exhibition Cosmic Seed Basket.

Somers Gallery is pleased to present the exhibition Cosmic Seed Basket by Cristina Ochoa as part of the 10th anniversary of Somers Gallery. This exhibition is part of the installation ‘Cosmic Seed Basket’ commissioned by the Royal Botanical Gardens, Wakehurst as part of the Millennium Seed Bank on its 25th anniversary. The exhibition at Somers Gallery presents the process and documentation of the installation at Wakehurst along with other related Cosmic Basket Seed pieces.

That was the task ordered by the elders, the taitas from up heavens and down earth, as grand father Berito Kuwaruwa told me when he asked them, they said this job has to be done. This is seed is part of the origin.

The piece Is a time vessel in the erythrina americana seed minimum shape, amplified. The colorin, Tzité, for the Mayans, Tzompantle In Nahuatl is connected to the origin of humanity and times, according to the sacred book Popol Vuh the first grandparents throw the seeds of Tzité along with the corn seeds to create humanity. The oracle practice of seed reading with the erythrina americana is still in use by the Mayan quiché and by the Mexica who carries 260 seeds with precious stones in the sacred bag, and throw the over the mayan calendar Tzolquin or Mexica tonalpahualli. The Mayan created the concept of zero depicted as a seed or a shell.

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– Art display marks 25 years of Millennium Seed Bank

Mexican-Colombian artist Cristina Ochoa has created a giant replica of the Erythrina americana seed. Visitors are invited to sit inside the sculpture and reflect on the cultural and ecological significance of the seed.

Cristina said: “It’s been a process of one year and a half from the beginning of the idea… it’s based on a seed that I’ve been working with for a while.” With an estimated 45% of flowering plants at risk of extinction, the Kew scientists have collected seeds from plants across the world, in collaboration with over 275 partners in nearly 100 countries. The exhibition also includes a transformation of the MSB’s exterior, by Shiraaz Ali.

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– Seedscapes at Wakehurst: Art, Science, and the Story of Seeds

Seedscapes is Wakehurst’s most ambitious arts programme yet, drawing on the expertise of Kew scientists and international artists to explore the powerful story of global seed conservation. From the towering trees of Coates Wood to vibrant meadows, the garden becomes a living gallery, with six artists that invite visitors to reflect on biodiversity, resilience, and our relationship with the natural world.Featuring new, bespoke commissioned artwork from both local and international artists that feature ceramic sculptures, woven materials, soundscapes and augmented reality art, Seedscapes will take visitors on a multi-sensory journey will highlight global seed conservation, biodiversity and resilience. The artists working with Wakehurst are Brighton-based Adam Ceramic, Kristina Pulejkova, Cristina Ochoa from Mexico, Shiraaz Ali, Australian James Tapscott, and Ed Carter. Kew Scientists have worked with the artists directly as consultants to bring the science to life.

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– Cristina Ochoa | El corazón del monte:

The artist presents an oracle made with corn and colorín seeds, drawing from ancestral Mayan divination techniques and blending them with the types of oracles commonly found on the internet, which have a much higher frequency of use. In doing so, rather than simply showcasing archival material or creating a new piece, the artist merges and re-signifies two references that come from different cultural registers but have both been essential to her work.

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