This horticultural installation, named 'Hosta Superstar', was a temporary exhibition at the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna, running from 2011 to 2021. It was created by students from the Class for Landscape Design, led by artist Tony Heywood, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of botanist Nikolaus Thomas Host.
The 'Hosta Superstar' was a horticultural installation presented at the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna, which served as a temporary exhibition from 2011 to 2021. Conceived by students from the Class for Landscape Design, under the guidance of British artist and landscape designer Tony Heywood, the installation was part of a tribute to Nikolaus Thomas Host, a significant botanist, physician, and author. Host made crucial contributions to the study of Austrian flora and even had the renowned plant genus 'Hosta' named in his honor. The installation itself, described as a greenhouse with a glitter star border, was located near the 'Flora of Austria' section and aimed to foster public discussion on concepts such as the natural versus artificial, historical and current scientific methods, and the interplay of chaos and order within a scientific garden setting.
After a decade of its existence, the 'Hosta Superstar' installation, having shown signs of wear, was eventually dismantled. Its site is now being repurposed to create an orchard meadow, harmonizing with the garden's focus on Austrian flora. The project highlighted a contemporary artistic expression within the scientific framework of the botanical garden, drawing attention to the legacy of Nikolaus Thomas Host and the scientific classification of plants.
