Floral art gets all the space it needs in Brussels

17/08/2021

From mid-August, Brussels in Bloom will be taking visitors on a flower-filled walk around the Grand Place. Until 5 September, this unparalleled event will replace the traditional Flower Carpet made from begonias with a coronavirus-safe walking route of floral highlights.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the tradition of decorating the historic heart of the capital with flowers. In 1971, the Grand Place was decorated with a temporary carpet of begonias featuring decorative arabesques. This year, the concept has expanded to include symbolic locations, which will be given a floral touch and enveloped in petals and colours. A total of 21 carpets showcase the creativity and craftsmanship of the floral artists that created them. The locations passed by on the route, which lasts 30 minutes and is subdivided into 16 stages, include the Manneken-Pis and the Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert. Among the creations is a work that pays tribute to the victims of the floods in the courtyard of the Town Hall.

 

This initiative makes it appear as if the biennial flower festival, which is held in Brussels Town Hall every two years as an alternation to the Flower Carpet, has spilled over into the public space. "Spreading out the event over several weeks and locations means we can ensure that the coronavirus rules are respected, so that the public can stroll around without worrying," explains the Brussels Alderman for Culture, Delphine Houba.