In museums in Rome, Oxford and Tokyo, botanical beauty reveals an unexpected face. Paintings, rare objects and immersive experiences take visitors on a journey exploring the age-old dialogue between humankind and nature
Exploring the deep bond between human creativity and the plant kingdom, with flowers taking centre stage: this is the thread connecting three recently opened exhibitions — Flowers. Meravigliosa Natura at the Chiostro del Bramante in Rome, In Bloom: How Plants Changed Our World at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, and A World of Flowers at the Yamatane Museum of Art in Tokyo.
Rome celebrates nature as living architecture
Flowers. Meravigliosa Natura — open until 6 September — transforms Rome’s Chiostro del Bramante into a living organism. The exhibition is the second chapter in a journey that began with Flowers. From the Renaissance to Artificial Intelligence, developed with the Kunsthalle München and Suzanne Landau, a leading figure on the international museum scene, known for her long and distinguished career as a curator and artistic director.
While the first exhibition interpreted the flower as a symbolic, political and poetic unit, this new show expands the perspective, embracing the idea of nature as living architecture. The exhibition unfolds across three sections, bringing together works from the seventeenth century to the present day, including pieces that explore immersive technologies and artificial intelligence, in a broad survey featuring Italian and international artists.
In Art and Ecology, visitors are invited to reflect on the fragility of ecosystems. Art and Science investigates the morphology of natural forms, enriched by exceptional loans from institutions including the Biblioteca Casanatense and the Museo Civico di Zoologia. Art and Politics is dedicated to nature as a manifesto of resistance and identity.
The stories behind Britain’s flowers
What do we really know about the plants and flowers that adorn our gardens and window boxes? This is the question at the heart of In Bloom, open to the public until 16 August, which takes visitors on a journey from Oxford to the farthest corners of the world and back again, revealing the stories behind some of Britain’s best-loved flowers — from roses and tulips to camellias and peonies.
More than one hundred works are on display, including paintings, rare prints and ceramics. “From the fascinating stories of curiosity and ingenuity of the first botanical explorers to the networks that shaped global trade, this exhibition reveals how the search for exotic plants transformed landscapes, economies and cultures, leaving a legacy that still shapes our world today,” reads the exhibition presentation.
In Bloom is also the first exhibition at the museum to consider sustainability from conception to realisation. Some 92% of the works come from south-east England, while 60% are drawn from the Ashmolean’s own collections or from other University of Oxford collections, thereby reducing the carbon footprint linked to the transport of objects. Environmental effects have been created by “painting with light”.
In Tokyo, a journey through the floral seasons
In Tokyo, A World of Flowers is on show until 10 May, presenting around 50 works, all from the collection of the Yamatane Museum of Art. “Since ancient times, the enchanting beauty of blooming flowers has captured our hearts. A breathtaking world embracing all four seasons opens before us,” reads the exhibition presentation.
Among the works on display are Spring Morning by Yokoyama Taikan, depicting mountain cherry trees in blossom beneath the morning sun, and A Sunny Spell during the Rainy Season by Yamaguchi Hōshun, portraying hydrangeas gleaming in the sunlight after the rain has passed. In One Hundred Flowers by Tanomura Chokunyū, the flowers of one hundred different plants are faithfully represented, almost like an illustrated botanical guide.
Cover image: © Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg Ltd
