Living Mosaics in Montreal

BY AWAKE! WRITER IN CANADA

FROM June 19 to October 9, 2000, the charming city of Montreal, Canada, was host to Mosaiculture International Montreal 2000 (MIM 2000), the first international floral sculpture exposition. Under the theme “The Planet Is a Mosaic,” artists from 14 countries were invited to design and build about a hundred floral exhibits.

Two-dimensional floral mosaics—in which plants are used to create a picture—have decorated public gardens for centuries. For the past 50 years, however, horticulturists in China, Europe, and elsewhere have created three-dimensional sculptures by covering metal frames with a careful selection of plants. By bringing together both types of mosaics into one exhibition, the organizers of MIM 2000 revived the term “mosaiculture”—originally used to describe floral covers in France—and applied it to both two- and three-dimensional floral sculptures. In all, some three million specially chosen plants were used for MIM 2000. To water and maintain the living mosaicultures, the talents of 68 horticulturists and gardeners were required.

The Chinese mosaics were particularly intriguing, for their creators braided a mixture of clay, horse manure, and rice straw through the metal frame of a three-dimensional sculpture. They also used tiny plants with small roots that require very little soil.

Each of the artists who entered MIM 2000 hoped to win the competition. But most visitors were content simply to admire the innovative design and spectacular beauty of each mosaic. “This really is artwork,” commented Lynn Duranceau, director of the international competition. “It’s like a small museum. We’re quite proud of the outcome.”

[Pictures on page 24, 25]

Above: Sculpture of panda, from China

Center: Ancient palace, from Thailand, along with butterfly, from China

Bottom: Mallards, from Quebec, Canada

[Pictures on page 25]

Above: Floral sculpture of painting by Vincent van Gogh, from Canada; peacock, from France