Unfolding blooms

Site: New York, NY
Client: Confidential
Program: Installation

To witness the unfolding of a bloom is one of the simple pleasures in life. For people of all ages this floral explosion marks the passage of time and elicits delight and wonder like few other events. It is one of the joys that transcends cultural and geopolitical boundaries and brings communities and families together. Unfolding Blooms is an installation proposal for a gallery in Chelsea that celebrates this phenomenon and the creative muse it has provided for thousands of years.

The artwork is comprised of a grid of three hundred and fifty mirrored spheres that each contain a mix of blooming flowers and cut branches in the manner of the art of Ikebana. The spheres float above the ground at different levels and are organized in rows spaced three feet apart to allow people to circulate among the blooms. Unfolding Blooms also creates distinct topography of peaks and valleys that people can occupy within the gallery space. It extends the experience beyond the gallery borders by introducing a mirrored surface on the gallery wall that creates the illusion of an expansive landscape in the heart of Manhattan.

Unfolding Blooms creates an immersive experience that occurs through space and time where people can celebrate the simple beauty of a blossom opening. The installation may be ephemeral, but the plants in Unfolding Blooms will be reused in Ikebana workshops offered to the public, creating delight for years to come. Unfolding Blooms is a collaboration between Behin Ha and Terrain Work.