[Many thanks to Javier Martínez (Autogiro) for bringing this item to our attention.] An exhibition by José R. Almodóvar Rivera, entitled “Intimidad floral” [Floral Intimacy], will be on view at MUSA (Museo de Arte de Mayagüez). The museum is located at my alma mater, the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez [Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM)]. The exhibition will open on Thursday, February 9, at 6:00pm. Autogiro announced:

The MUSA, Museo de Arte del Recinto Universitario de Mayagüez (RUM) will inaugurate the exhibition “Intimidad floral” by scientific photographer José R. Almodóvar Rivera, who teaches at the Departament of Biology-RUM, on Thursday, February 9, at 6:00pm.

The exhibition captures the microcosm that lives within 13 flowers that are part of the botanical scope of Puerto Rico. The microscopist uses his lens, dissection, and focus stacking to create a connection between inner beauty, mindfulness, and the importance of conserving our flora.

This selection of work is part of the electronic book Flores por dentro, a collaborative and posthumous work by Dr. Juan A. Rivero. To achieve this, flower dissections were carried out to later create an image that magnifies the details to be studied in each species.

“From the universe of images, the photographer selected a sample of those that he considered the most beautiful and inspiring due to their shapes, curves, colors and formations. We are very excited that, with this exhibition, we can resume our calendar of activities, after a period of remodeling of the facilities. Almodóvar Rivera’s photography is very rich in detail and, in addition to its beauty, it is a crucial tool for the study, documentation and understanding of species. We feel privileged to have his work in MUSA”, expressed Dr. Zorali De Feria, director of the UPRM Museum.

Dr. Zorali De Feria, director of the UPRM Museum, expressed, “From the universe of images, the photographer selected a sample of those he considered to be the most beautiful and inspiring due to their shapes, curves, colors, and formations. [. . .] Almodóvar Rivera’s photography is very rich in detail and, in addition to its beauty, it is a crucial tool for the study, documentation, and understanding of various species. We feel privileged to have his work at MUSA.”

Almodóvar Rivera’s photographic production has been recognized by the Puerto Rican Ornithological Society [Sociedad Ornitológica Puertorriqueña], Biodiversidad en Puerto Rico, Olympus Bioscapes, Nikon Small World, and Jeol Image Contest, among others. Likewise, his photos have been used to illustrate several books. Since 2005 he has been a specialist in scientific instrumentation at the Microscopy Center of the Department of Biology of the UPRM Centro de Microscopía del Departamento de Biología del RUM.

[. . .] The theme of the exhibition is consistent with the next MUSA exhibition, Flora borinqueniana, which will bring together illustrations of the most outstanding Puerto Rican botanists of all time, and which will open on February 25.

“We invite lovers of photography, nature and art to join us in this special exhibition that will be available until July,” concluded De Feria.

Excerpts translated by Ivette Romero. For the original piece (in Spanish), see https://autogiro.cronicaurbana.com/category/museos/