client . Flemish provinces, Gentse Floraliën

location . Ghent (BE)

contractor . studio Landschap

realisation 2022

pictures by Jan de Wilde

The Bicycle Paradise installation was one of the eye-catchers of the Floralies of Ghent 2022, the renowned quadrennial exhibition for plants and flowers. Kollektif's winning competition proposal was chosen to transform the equally historic velodrome 'het Kuipke'.  The design proposal combines a unique composition and sensory experience for visitors with a strong narrative message. In the center square, nearly 500 young trees of various sizes are gathered in a unique and enchanting composition. The design composition includes a nod to the Mystic Lamb by the Van Eyck Brothers, currently under restoration in the neighboring Fine Arts Museum. The trees seemingly break through the paved center square, illustrating the power of nature in relation to the Flemish construction rage. In the forest, visitors will discover, hidden among the trees, five floral works, one of which is by internationally acclaimed florist
Daniël Ost. 

 Special attention was paid to the scenography of the installation. The smoke effects, subtle lighting and sound fragments create a unique mystical atmosphere. After the Floralies, the trees were given a second life as part of a forest expansion on the provincial domain Het Leen in Lievegem - Eeklo. Visitors to the Kuipkebos could register as godfather or -mother of the forest and were invited to the planting after the event. In this way, the designers raise awareness among the general public about the unique experience value of forests and the need for softening and forest expansion.