“studiolab”
The Kampong, National Tropical Botanical Garden, Miami, FL
(2024)
studiolab is a site-specific collaboration between artists Lauren Shapiro and Lee Pivnik that transforms The Kampong’s historic garden into a hybrid space of research, art-making, and ecological inquiry. Engaging with the archives of The Kampong and the scientific resources of Florida International University’s International Center for Tropical Botany (ICTB), the artists explore the intersection of art, botany, and conservation through an immersive, interdisciplinary installation.
Shapiro and Pivnik integrate archival research with sculptural experimentation, drawing from a curated selection of materials including botanical illustrations by Margaret Mee, living plant specimens, garden clippings, and rare books from The Sweeney Library. Ceramic works, models, and organic matter are presented in dialogue with the site’s landscape and history, positioning the garden as both a living laboratory and an evolving studio space.
This project reflects a shared commitment to environmental stewardship, material exploration, and cross-disciplinary exchange, offering a dynamic lens into South Florida’s unique ecological narratives.