Human+Nature Exhibition: My search for all 8 massive sculptures at the Morton Arboretum

“The new sculptures explore more ethereal and otherworldly understandings of the natural world.”

Image courtesy of Morton Arboretum

(CHICAGO) You don't have to go far from the city to wander through majestic gardens and wooded hiking trails. Once you drive inside the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, you'll feel like you're somewhere else entirely.

The arboretum, located 25 miles west of Chicago, tends to go big with its exhibitions, such as towering trolls and kid's playhouses. The Human+Nature exhibit is no exception.

Designed by South African artist Daniel Popper, it's the largest exhibition of his work at this time. This summer, the arboretum added three more to the five massive sculptures.

Popper said of his new work in a press release, "The new sculptures explore more ethereal and otherworldly understandings of the natural world. They are profoundly intertwined with the setting – each shaped by and for their respective environments – and resonate more clearly with the energy of the land.”

Determined to see them all, I grabbed a printed map at the entrance, which conveniently lists the sculptures and where to park to access them.

West Side Sculptures

I decided to start on the west side for my hunt, where three of the eight sculptures are located.

Heartwood

Take the main route on the west side and park at lot P20, and you won't miss the Heartwood sculpture. It's a 15.5-foot tall bisected face that you can walk between.

HeartwoodImage by author

Basilica

Get back in the car and stay on the main route to lot P22, where you will find Basilica. This sculpture welcomes you with outstretched hands made of intertwined 37-foot-long branches.

BasilicaImage by author

Mycelia

Mycelia is one of the newly added sculptures. It's accessible from parking P29. If you're on the main route after seeing Basilica, you will need to loop back around the West side to find Mycelia. After you pass Thornhill Education Center, take the alternate route and park at lot P29.

Set in the woods, Popper calls this one the “neurological network of nature.”

MyceliaImage by author

East Side Sculptures

Now it's time to head to the east and find the other five sculptures.

Ginkgo

Another of the new additions, at only eight feet tall, Ginkgo feels small compared to the others. You will spot this one near the East Side Visitor's Center.

GinkgoImage by author

Hallow

A short walk around Meadow Lake takes you to the beautiful, and always popular, 26-foot-tall Hallow.

HallowImage by author

Sentient

This 18-foot tall bisected human face is a short walk from Hallow along the Loop 1 Trail. If you don't want to walk the trail from Hallow, you can access it from lots P2 and P17.

SentientImage by author

UMI

The easiest way to find UMI is to either take the trail, or park at P5. UMI is a 20.5 feet, majestic maternal figure set among the magnolia trees.

UMIImage by author

Ephemera

Another new one, Ephemera is easiest to reach if you take the main route on the East Side and park at P14. Ephemera is a whimsical sculpture a bit smaller than the others at 12 feet tall, yet still larger than life.

EphemeraImage by author

Tips before you go

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Be sure to grab a map from the entrance or Visitor Center. They will point you in the best direction for viewing the sculptures. Follow the blue signs directing you to the sculptures. And don't forget the sunscreen and bug spray, depending on the weather.

Also, the arboretum requires timed entry passes to be purchased before you go.

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