Each day, passersby halt with infatuation upon entering the doors of the Prudential Center as vivid, decked-out floral mannequins meet the eye.
The latest Fleurs de Villes “VOYAGE” art exhibition anchored its place at the Prudential Center on Nov. 2, 2023. The exhibition has contributions from 17 Boston-based florists and will reside at the Center for five days, departing on Nov. 6. Each of the 18 fresh floral displays scattered throughout the mall represents a different country, paying homage to their most famous customs and traditions.
The world-renowned Fleurs de Villes, which translates to “flowers of cities,” has brought extravagant art exhibitions to over 20 cities throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, England and Scotland.
Fleurs de Villes contacted each of the artists and, upon submitting an application, providing them with their assigned country to design around. Of the floral designers reached, about two to four full days were spent creating their set pieces.
Christy King, a co-owner of King Farm Inc. and an accredited member of the American Institute of Floral Designers, said, “The timeline was a little bit of a challenge because it’s all perishable material. So, it needs to be done within a certain amount of time to keep the integrity of the flowers; you sort of have to hurry up and wait. There are a few things we did: using 50% dried material and 50% fresh so the dry material can be done in the week prior. When I got there, I installed all the fresh.”
King created the mannequin representing Ireland, specifically depicting a stepdancer. Using lilys and copious green leaves, she mimicked the rich tapestry of Irish heritage.
The goal of each “VOYAGE” installation is to bring big-picture cultural storytelling to the masses, but behind each piece, the creators and audience members bring their own stories to the table.
Shaona Das, a 16-year-old passing by the exhibit, felt the deep heritage spoken to her through the flowers. “Seeing these displays, especially the India one, made me feel connected to my culture. And it really inspired me because, in popular media and popular art, my culture often gets overlooked so the fact that I could see this vibrant color accurately displaying my culture made me feel valued.”
Experiences like Das’ have not gone unnoticed by the creators of the mannequins.
“All the people coming by and watching; there were so many people who said that it was just filling them with joy and hope, and with everything that’s going on in the world, it was what they needed to see; that part that was very humbling and fulfilling for me. I mean, it’s nice to play with flowers, of course, but I think the impact and what was being brought to all the public that they enjoyed that,” King said.
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Article written by Lisa Zivanic | All multimedia components by Hailey Ryu and Sania Mehta
