Taryn Simon's 2015 work documents diplomatic floral arrangements from 2006 Kuwait agreement

Taryn Simon created a 2015 artwork documenting floral arrangements from a 2006 diplomatic event. The piece includes preserved plant specimens from Ecuador, Netherlands, and Thailand that were originally presented at the Al-Bayan Palace in Kuwait City, Kuwait on May 30, 2006. These flowers marked the signing of the Agreement Establishing the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation. Simon's work incorporates pigmented concrete press, dried plant specimens, archival inkjet prints, and text on herbarium paper mounted with a steel brace. The installation measures 43 × 28 1/2 × 20 1/2 inches. Gagosian Gallery represents the artist. Documentation of this work appeared on artcritical on March 25, 2016. Specific floral varieties include Rosa × hybrida (Hybrid Tea Rose) from Ecuador, Gerbera × hybrida (Gerbera) from the Netherlands, Hydrangea macrophylla (Big Leaf Hydrangea) from the Netherlands, and Dendrobium hybrid (Dendrobium) from Thailand. The artwork transforms diplomatic ephemera into preserved archival material.