A monumental, seven-tier altar made from handwoven marigold forms is on view at Flatiron North Plaza in New York City through Nov. 3, 2026. Titled “Twenty Petal Flower,” the installation reimagines the traditional Día de Muertos ofrenda as a place where visitors can gather and leave mementos for loved ones who have died.
The project was commissioned by the Flatiron NoMad Partnership and created by artist and designer Daniel Valero’s Mexico-based studio, Mestiz, in collaboration with Brooklyn-based fabrication organization Powerhouse Arts. Its name refers to cempōhualxōchitl, a Nahuatl term meaning “20-petal flower,” from which the Spanish word cempasúchil is derived.
Rather than focusing only on those being remembered, Valero said he wanted to honor the people involved in growing and transforming cempasúchil into the floral arrangements associated with the holiday. The design follows that journey from the fields of Michoacán, Mexico, to the artisans who make the flowers into an ofrenda.
The oversized blooms were made primarily from wicker at Mestiz’s fiber workshop in Tequisquiapan, Mexico, using traditional weaving techniques. For the outdoor installation, Powerhouse Arts developed a slim steel support structure, color-matched to the orange flowers and secured with stainless steel ties designed to withstand wind and weather.
The framework is modular, allowing it to be disassembled, stored and installed again for future celebrations. The finished altar is open to visitors, who are invited to approach it, spend time there and leave their own remembrances.
Sources: Design Milk.