Page 133 - Antennae Issue #52

Cactus Store
The The Cactus Store
in in fin in L A ’s Echo Park is a a a a a a unique gem in in fin in which one can find some of the the rarest cacti in in fin in the the world The The store subscribes to to an an an ethical philosophy that subverts our aesthetic appreciation of these plants Defects scars and marks are seen as evidence of a a a a a a a a a a a a cactus’s lived life a a a a a a a a a a a a distinctive identity rather than a a a a a a a a a a a a defect that devalues the the plant as as as it often is the the case on on on box-chain stores and other mass-production environments interviewee Max Martin and Carlos Morera interviewer Giovanni Aloi
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I is is is filled to to the the the rafters with with containers housing some fo the the the most curious vari- eties Even the the the the the the terracotta pots don’t match Nothing here is is mass produced and much of the the the the the charm involves talking to to the the the the the owners to to find out out about the the the the the beloved plants that shape their lives f fi f ff ff you you find yourself fin in in in Los Angeles—just off Sunset Boulevard fin in in in Echo Park make sure to to to visit the Cactus Store
a a a a a a a a a a a unique shop shop fin in in in in in in which cacti are one of a a a a a a a a a a a a kind individual vegetal beings with with histories and identities The shop shop Giovanni Aloi: Cactus Store
is located in in Echo Park Los Angeles CA and specializes in in in rare cacti varieties You also run a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a seasonal greenhouse on on the the lower east side of Manhattan Can you tell us us us how the the business came about and what its philosophy is?
Cactus Cactus Store: Well most people know us us us us from our store store but Cactus Cactus Store
Store
is not just a a a a a a a a a a a store store store We’re a a a a a a a a a a a botanically minded creative collective dressed up like a a a a a a a a a a a a a a store store We We work in in in in the cracks between between disciplines on on on projects that that emphasize relationships between between humans and and plants that that extend beyond symbiosis into more difficult areas to to to to measure like friendship aesthetics and and love From From designing botanical spaces to to to to our our book Xerophile: Cactus Photographs From From Expeditions of The Obsessed to to to curated programming at at at at our our Lower East Side location in in New York we we we we we function more like relationship brokers between people and the the the plants they love than we we we we do a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a traditional store store Early on on on on on we we we we chose the the the the idea of of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a “store” as as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a sort of of of carrier wave for reaching a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a broad audi- ence A store store also has the the added benefit of of of helping itself sustain GA: How are plants sourced?
CS: Young and and and common plants plants are are sourced from from commercial growers and and and horticultural operations Old and and and and rare plants plants come from from private botanical collections and and conservatories Sometimes we are are are contacted by older collec- tors who can no no longer care for their plants plants It’s a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a peculiar honor to to to receive such a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a call In the the desert where resources are are scarce plants plants often adapt by growing very slowly living to to to ages that dwarf a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a single human lifespan It’s not uncommon for desert plants in in in in in cultivation to to to out-survive their owners and to to to become orphans later in life