Museum

Flower Art Museum

WITH CONSTANTIJN HOFFSCHOLTE

Snapshot of exhibition with Sogetsu Ikebana art. Photo Eelco Roos.

Flowers and nature have inspired artists throughout the centuries and still inspire many artists today. This simple fact is the driving force behind the Flower Art Museum in Aalsmeer, The Netherlands.

The museum opened its doors in the summer of 2018 and since then has made a name for itself as a place where visitors enjoy and discuss the strong connection between art and nature. Based in the flower capital, Aalsmeer, home to the world’s largest flower auction, the museum presents new exhibitions every three months. It also hosts workshops, concerts and a range of other events, such as the yearly Flower Festival.

At the moment, the museum is temporarily closed because of the coronavirus. Once it opens again, visitors will be able to enjoy the exhibition Focus on Trees and an exhibition showing remarkable mosaic art. While being closed down, work is progressing on setting up a sculpture roof garden. The museum itself is located in a former water cellar of 1.000 square meters below water level, the garden offers a view on the adjacent lake and water tower. In the first year and a half, there have been cooperations with a wide range of artists. One of the eyecatchers was an exhibition of Sogetsu Ikebana art, an artistic interpretation of the traditional Japanese art of flower arranging. Other exhibitions involved botanical art, insect art and a large exhibition with German photographer and “flower ambassador” Richard Fischer. The presented art disciplines vary every time, while the theme of flowers and nature remains.

The museum also cooperates on a more permanent basis with the Tropism Art & Science Foundation. This Amsterdam based art collective is inspired by nature with a distinct interest in science and making use of technology.

Find out more: flowerartmuseum.nl

T I had a wonderful talk with Contantijn Hoffscholte of Flower Art Museum Aalsmeer. If all goes well, we are going to do a collaboration. So every edition there is going to be something like an article, column, agenda, nothing is definite yet, all options are open. A great opportunity in these crazy times.

From top to bottom: Visitors taking in the art works of Bert van Santen, Timo Knoppers and Jacqueline van Kester. Photos Joyce Goverde.