Maison Mono is proud to present De La Sombra, Un Jardín, a six-week solo exhibition by Greenpoint-based artist Melissa Godoy Nieto, which will feature two of the artist’s new mixed media and textile series: Amapolas and Olivos y Tarantismo. This summer exhibition comes about as a summertime collaboration between Maison Mono and our neighbors Lentol Community Garden, rooted in a shared desire to celebrate and support the rare greenery and creative spirit of Greenpoint.

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Melissa was selected for this exhibition in part for her connection to the neighborhood as well as her artistic approach to ecological  themes—her work engages questions of land, transformation, and embodied memory. She weaves together drawing, textiles, installation, and performance in her work, drawing from personal and ancestral histories across her native Mexico as well as the Mediterranean.

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In the series Amapolas (Poppies), Melissa reflects on the poppy flower as a potent symbol of beauty and violence—linked to the cultural landscape of her home state of Sinaloa, Mexico. In Olivos y Tarantismo (Olives and Tarantism), she draws from a recent residency spent in southern Italy, exploring the mythological healing ritual of “tarantismo,” in which ecstatic dance becomes a tool for release, regeneration, and feminine transformation. Together, these works offer a garden not only as a paradise, but also a site of resilience.

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From the outset, De La Sombra, Un Jardín, has been envisioned not only as a gallery exhibition, but as a neighborhood activation. Our partnership with Lentol Garden extends the project beyond the walls of Maison Mono and into the vibrant ecology of Greenpoint itself. The opening celebration on Saturday, June 7 invites visitors to move between both sites and includes a live garden painting performance performed by Godoy Nieto. Elements of the completed work will be available as raffle prizes for guests, with all proceeds donated to support the ongoing care of Lentol Garden.

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As the city blooms into summer,  De La Sombra, Un Jardín is both an exhibition and a gathering—where shadow gives way to color, and a garden emerges for the celebration of art, flora, and community.

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Curated by Eimi Tagore & Mona Kim