Exploring Joiri Minaya’s “Venus Flytrap”: An Artistic Examination

Artist Film: An Exploration of “Venus Flytrap” by Joiri Minaya

New York-based artist Joiri Minaya’s “Venus Flytrap” was a site-specific performance series and installation at Philadelphia’s Bartram’s Garden, North America’s oldest surviving botanical garden, curated by Dessane Lopez Cassell. This project explored themes of freedom, extraction, and ecology. The performance evolved from elegant poses to a vibrant, carnival-like expression, concluding with performers disappearing into a large tree surrounded by colorful fabrics designed by Minaya at the Fabric Workshop and Museum.

The accompanying film, co-directed by Minaya and Xenia Matthews, not only documents the creation and performance process but also delves into the artist’s evolving ideas about land, history, and diaspora. Matthews remarks on the novel and experimental nature of the project. “Venus Flytrap” benefited from major support by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage and additional backing from the William Penn Foundation, produced by BlackStar Projects.