Amazing Flower Art at Floralies 2016
From 22 April through 1 May 2016, the city of Ghent in Belgium will be in bloom and entirely devoted to the 2016 Floralies (also known as Floralien). For ten days long, four iconic locations will form the backdrop for the loveliest creations. The amazing Flower Art at Floralies 2016 has been created by leading national and international florists, ornamental growers, landscape architects and artists.
Every 4 year this interactive flower festival regarding gardens, flowers & workshops and latest trends is held at the historical city of Ghent in Belgium.
The 4 locations of the Floralies event can be reached by foot easily. So apart of all the flower creations you will visit a small part of this beautiful historical city of Ghent too.
The four sites are each themed differently.
- Bijloke Site
When you arrive at the Sint Pieter Railway station of Ghent the decorated trees will guide your walk to the Bijloke site. Here you step into a world full of azaleas, camellias and bonsai trees with our guest country Japan. You can explore the world of the Japanese art of flower arrangement, ikebana, with floral artist Akane Teshigahara. furthermore you will be awed by the creations of Daniël & Nele Ost, Tom De Houwer and the “The Cocoon” by eco-artist Will Beckers.
- Leopold Baracks
Fifteen floral artists will bring the city into harmony with their floral art at the inner courtyard of the Leopold Barracks. This inner courtyard has now been opened for the public. In 4 weeks time it has been transformed to a mythological forest were you can discover your tree horoscope. Meanwhile your kids can find their way through a laurel labyrinth. - Sint-Pietersplein
At the Sint-Pietersplein you will be presented with the ornamental plant cultivation sector focusing on laurels, roses and rhododendrons. Innovative techniques will be explained here. Furthermore you find a scale model of a utopian green city inside the city of Ghent dome.
Make sure you visit the Saint Peter’s Church too. The main hall of the church contains a giant flower chandelier, “Delirious with desire”. It has been created by Tomas De Bruyne in cooperation with Hitomi Gilliam and Natalia Zhizko. The flowers and deadly sins which clash in the corridors of Saint Peter’s Abbey are composed by florists Moniek Van Den Berghe, Ivan Poelman, Jan De Ridder, Carmen Lucia, Françoise Van Donink and Carl Depuydt. - Citadel Park
At the Citadel location your senses will be touched most. After 30 years the Floralies event is held again at the Floralies Hall. The emphasis for this location is on the beauty of the plant itself while color compatibility is at second place. This refers back to the principles of the English gardens, in which plants were gathered in a visually organic order, leaving the impression that nature herself was the creator.
Museum of Fine Art (MSK)
Next to Citadel Park you find the Museum of Fine Art (MSK). The floral artist Frederiek Van Pamel shows a festively decorated display table in the large museum forum. The decorations were assembled out of 17th to 20th-century floral still-lifes from the MSK collection. In adjacent rooms four contemporary artists are showcasing their botanical creations. Gerda Steiner and Jörg Lenzlinger invites visitors to dream away the day in an imaginary world. Furthermore Simryn Gill shows how plants become paper and how paper becomes plant-like again. Finally Gert Robijns created an enchanting presentation of dancing petals amid the historic grandeur of the museum collection.
History
The 35th edition of Floralies 2016 festival held in the historical city of Ghent. This year the city’s famous Arts Quarter will serve as an atmospheric backdrop. Visitors will be surprised by fascinating gardens, breathtaking art and enjoy the stunning fragrances, colors and the creativity of Belgium floriculturists.
The organization behind the Ghent Floralies is the Royal Society for Agriculture and Botany (KMLP) which was established 1809. That year the very first flower and plant exhibition took place in a small pub. Since then it has gone through a spectacular change of growth and evolution.
The amazing flower art at Floralies 2016 is certainly worth your visit.
Practical information about this event you can find at the Floralien website.