What happens inside a floral bouquet during an important political meeting? Maybe flowers are not only decorative, but also beautiful and even more beautifully smelling. But what if they could be more proactive and get involved in issues of global proportions?
In the world of plants, flowers have an irreplaceable representative and diplomatic role. Now they even have their own union, an infinite union in the circle of medicinal flowers. Their garden ceremony for the opening of the presidency is given in the form of what is known as an “appreciation dinner”, a type of gala dinner, in our world, held for the elites and the media. As in the people’s world, a comedian is invited, here in the form of a “Celery-man”. Hybrid characters between vegetable and human.
The supernatural figure of a claivoyant, no longer able to predict the future, takes over the direction of the second part of the film, activating decorative flowers in the form of an eco-sexual festive ritual. The fortune teller shows the plants that by putting pistils and calyxes together they can reach out to the public and change the course of things. So hopefully their ability to see into the future will return.
The work is also an open homage to several works of art history, such as Annie Sprinkle’s
Marriage to the Earth, or John Baldessari’s Teaching the Alphabet of Plants, or Taryn Simon’s series of photographs depicting bouquets standing on tables during important political meetings.
A film directed by Jakub Jansa, created for Flower Union exhibition produced by National Gallery Prague, as part of Czech Presidency of European Union 2022, Curated by Michal Novotný
