Neha Patil (Editor)

Flower Carpet

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Flower Carpet

Flower Carpet is a biennial event in Brussels in which volunteers from around Belgium convene at the Grand Place, the historic center of the city, to weave a carpet-like tapestry out of colorful begonias. The event takes place every other August, coordinating with Assumption Day. Nearly a million flowers are required to create the ephemeral 1,800 square meter carpet.

Contents

History

Landscape architect E. Stautemans initiated the first Flower Carpet in 1971. The event has taken place off and on until the 1990s, when city officials decided to host it every other year, with 2016 marking its 20th occurrence. The tapestry always exhibits begonias, one of Belgium's major exports since 1860.

Themes

Each year of the Flower Carpet, organizers select a theme for inspiration.

  • In 2008, the patterns were inspired by 18th-Century French designs and colors.
  • In 2010, the designers of the tapestry honored Belgian Herman Van Rompuy, the first president of the European Union, with images of historic Belgian symbols alongside the European Union logo.
  • In 2012, the carpet exhibited the colors of Africa, inspired by traditional fabrics and tribal costumes.
  • In 2014, the city of Brussels paid tribute to the 50th anniversary of Turkish immigrants by imitating the world-famous kilims. Turks came to Belgium in 1964 when both countries signed a bilateral treaty welcoming immigrants during the economic boom.

    • References

    Flower Carpet Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA