Spring arrives early in London as 'Flowers — Flora In Contemporary Art & Culture' flourishes at the Saatchi Gallery. The show, which opens on February 12th, features 500 one-of-a-kind pieces of art and artifacts that trace the long-lasting impact of flowers on literature, science, fashion, music, design, and art. Large-scale floral installations, original paintings, photographs, and historical items are among the pieces displayed in nine thematic galleries that each explore this manifestation of the subject of flowers in a variety of media and cultural contexts.
London - Honoring Flowers and Plants at 'Flora in Contemporary Art & Culture'
The show honors how plants have influenced human creativity across time and how they have persisted as metaphors, symbols, and emotional signifiers that are ingrained in myths, tales, and cultural customs. Notable pieces include Miguel Chevalier's intervention, which turns an entire room into an interactive virtual garden of flowers, and Rebecca Louise Law's dazzling installation, which consists of 100,000 dried flowers. Yinka Ilori, Takashi Murakami, Philip Colbert, and Damien Hirst are among the hundreds of artists who are taking part in the display as well.
Over 500 Floral Artworks Bloom at the Saatchi Gallery
Flowers — Flora In Contemporary Art & Culture is organized into nine thematic divisions that are further separated by mediums. The first section is called Roots. From Renaissance masterpieces to the elaborate compositions of the 'Arts & Crafts Movement' and postmodern reinterpretations of botanical beauty, this is a historical investigation of flower images and the symbolism they contain.
With pieces from well-known artists like Gillian Ayres, Elizabeth Blackadder, Alex Katz, Gary Hume, and Marc Quinn as well as up-and-coming artists, these artworks all acknowledge and celebrate the ongoing interest in flowers in modern art and how these, fused together, make an unstoppable impact in the world of flowers and fashion.
The third room, 'Flowers and Fashion', explores the perpetual appeal of flora, which has adorned and inspired clothing and accessories, from high-street trends to haute couture. Here, Buccellati’s hand-carved silverware and jewelry take center stage. Photography and sculpture take the spotlight in another section, capturing nature's fascination in two and three dimensions.
.jpg "Viviane Sassen In Bloom shot for Dazed and Confused magazine")
From Large Scale Creations to Digital Gardens
La Fleur Morte, a custom installation by Rebecca Louise Law, takes up the entire fifth room. Over 100,000 dried flowers are hung in a double-height gallery, creating a vast and engrossing space that invites guests to explore a suspended floral dreamscape. Beyond the visual arts, the show explores the ways in which flowers have impacted literature, music, and film.
While literary and film sections examine the depth of flowers in a narrative, a wall exhibit of vinyl records up ahead displays the recurrent floral emblems that have adorned album covers for the previous fifty years. In the seventh chamber, Digital Botanica, visitors can likewise lose themselves in a digital floral paradise thanks to an interactive installation by Miguel Chevalier that displays moving virtual flowers and plants.
Photos by @saatchi_gallery.
