Tyler Coburn Orchid Naming & Performance

Richard Roe is a multi-part work, comprising an orchid hybrid, named by New York-based artist Tyler Coburn, and a memoir published in a series of parts. The project builds on a convention particular to Singapore, wherein orchid hybrids are named after politicians and celebrities — in effect, as a means of cultural diplomacy. Coburn developed a relationship with an orchid grower in Singapore, who cultivates many of the city-state’s famous hybrids, including those named after Margaret Thatcher and Mother Teresa. And he named an orchid Richard Roe, a fictional name used in American and British case law when the actual name of a person cannot be given. The event is free and open to the public.