A Virtual Flower Garden To Sprout In The Centre Of Aarhus

The Aarhus Festival launches this weekend and we can’t wait to see one of the highlights, Flower Power 2017, a virtual installation by the Mexican-born French artist, Miguel Chevalier that only comes alive at night.
Since 1965, Aarhus Festival has grown into one of Scandinavia’s largest cultural events. Every year over 300,000 people descend on the city for the 10-day festival to experience the variety of programmed events that showcase the talents of local, national and international artists.
This year there will be architectural interventions in the harbour by LIST Architecture-Urbanism, the launch of the city-wide free music festival Understrøm and a group of street artists who will be decorating two walls next to the City Hall. There will also be the unveiling of the interactive installation Flower Power 2017.

Render of Miguel Chevalier’s interactive light installation at Bispetorvet

After nightfall between 8.30pm and 3am (1am during the week) virtual flowers will bloom across Aarhus’ central square, Bisqpetorvet. Three virtual flower beds will present a colourful array of Danish flora that flower and wither and respond to any interaction by the public.
Considered a pioneer of digital and virtual art, Chevalier has been experimenting with the parameters of computerised artistic expression since the 1980s. Fascinated by nature and artifice, his multidisciplinary works make us consider our relationship to the world around us.
He’s shown his kaleidoscopic installations international from the streets of Shanghai to cathedrals in France. With the creation of Flower Power 2017 he wants us ‘to explore and connect the digital and the organic’.
Aarhus Festival takes place from August 25 to September 3, 2017.
Want to see more interactive art? teamLab Brings Japanese Park to Life with Immersive Installations

About the author

Freire Barnes

Art & Design Editor

Born in the heart of London, Freire's been surrounded by art since childhood. From being mesmerised by Fra Angelico's frescos in Florence to experiencing Dali's Mae West room in Caduceus, Freire's extensive travels instilled a love of the arts. After studying painting she worked for David Bowie's, Bowieart and began to write for the BBC, Bon and Dazed &amp Confused. She curated the Converse x Dazed Emerging Artists Award and was one of the first cohort to graduate from the Royal College of Art's Critical Writing in Art &amp Design MA. When not at an art opening, she's excited to bring her global art discoveries to the Culture Trip's readers.