Art gallery or shopping center?
Typically, a place is one or the other but from now until November 6, the Prudential Center is both. Fleurs De Villes is a 5-day art exhibit in Boston, Massachusetts highlighting talented Boston florists and global destinations.
Fleurs de Villes VOYAGE showcases 16 unique floral mannequins inspired by the unique cultures of these locations. Popular travel spots including Italy, China, Ireland, Argentina and Portugal were inspirational muses for the floral mannequins.
Public art is a well-known practice across the globe – artists such as Banksy, Haring and Catalano use public spaces to portray their ideas. Floral public art, however, is much less common. Fleurs de Villes exhibits work towards changing the typical perspective.
With exhibits spanning across 4 countries, Fleurs de Villes provides more exposure to the floral industry in these communities.
Jeri Solomon, owner of Jeri Solomon Floral Design talked about Fleurs de Villes mission saying, “This is an opportunity for people to see something very extravagant and see that floristry is an art and incredibly creative. And I think that’s a great benefit to the industry.”
The Fleurs de Villes installation in Boston serves as art that exposes the public to a new type of craft. A type of art often unknown to many. One visitor of the Prudential Center spoke about the importance of public art – such as Fleurs de Villes – saying, “I think any art is good, especially free art. It’s really important because I feel like we don’t have very much free expression, and I think it’s really cool.”
Kristin Carlson-Vinjam visited the Fleurs de Villes exhibit in Boston, and when asked about the impact of floral public art she said, “Floral art is a great way to highlight all of the natural diversity in the planet and make appreciation of it.” She further explained that “A lot of times when you’re walking on the streets, you might not pay attention to the same types of trees and plants…but when you see something striking and different, you pay attention to it.”
The use of local florists in the Fleurs de Villes Boston exhibit provides exposure to local businesses across the city and highlights the diverse talents present in the community.
When asked about the exposure that came from this exhibit, Louis Barry Florist’s owner Sunny Chu said she hopes in the long term, exposure from social media will help get their name out. Chu also said the use of local florists makes it evident that “Boston has so many talented artists and florists” who put intense care and effort into their work.
The care and attention to detail of local florists did not go unnoticed in visitors. One visitor who enjoys floral designs noted the way Floristika Studio florists took time to arrange white roses on Portugal’s floral mannequin and appreciated the thought that went into placing each flower in a way for it to withstand the space. Another visitor said, “I think it’s very impressive that people make these and let the flowers last several days without being in pots.”
To view more photos from the floral exhibit, visit our Instagram @rocketsjournalism.
