A temporary forest at the entrance to the Central Bank Museums will host a free music event Saturday, giving residents and visitors yet another reason to stop at Plaza de la Cultura this weekend. The event, Fiesta en el Bosque, begins at 7:30 p.m. and features a DJ set by Bunny Wabbit among the trees of Bosque prestado, or Borrowed Forest. The installation is already open and will be there through October 25.
Dozens of native trees and other species suited to the Central Valley have temporarily changed the museum entrance beneath the plaza. Visitors can walk among the vegetation for free, without having to wait for Saturday’s celebration. The project takes its name from the borrowed trees used to create it. They are linked to environmental protection and restoration programs run by the Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz, the electricity utility known as CNFL, and the Municipality of San José.
Esteban Bonilla, the cultural producer, DJ and landscaper who performs as Bunny Wabbit, is behind the installation. Viveros La Bonita provided technical support, with cooperation from the utility and municipality. The idea goes beyond adding greenery to a museum entrance. Organizers want people passing through downtown to pause, look at the plants and consider how much room the city leaves for nature.
October’s rain is part of that idea.
The museums describe the installation as a way to bring more activity to the city center during a season when fewer cultural events take place outdoors. Visitors are invited to experience the trees in the rainy weather rather than see the season only as a reason to stay inside.
Bosque prestado also connects with Los territorios que habitamos, an art exhibition whose title translates as The Territories We Inhabit. Curated by María José Monge, it brings together works from the Central Bank’s collection created over more than 130 years. That exhibition looks at landscapes, the effects of urban growth and the ways people share their surroundings with other species.
The temporary forest takes those questions outside the galleries and into a space people can walk through. Saturday’s music event is free and open to the public at the museum entrance beneath Plaza de la Cultura. Those who cannot attend can still visit the installation through Sunday, October 25.
