Presentation
Mosaiculture, an Art in Evolution Mosaiculture is a horticultural art that has developed in a variety of ways across the continents and the ages. Reserved to the best gardeners due to its complexity, it is similar to the art of mosaics, small drawings comprised of tiny, multicoloured vitrified enamel cubes. However in mosaiculture, plants are used to make the drawings. In the West, and especially in Europe, mosaiculture is a secular tradition that has mostly distinguished itself in the two-dimensional form. In the East, it is a more recent discipline that has mostly turned towards the three-dimensional. A complement to traditional horticultural practices, mosaiculture is a fascinating floral beautification and horticultural expression tool for 21st century cities. In that sense, Mosaiculture International Montréal 2000 served as a powerful catalyst. By fostering the exchange of ideas and techniques, this first international mosaiculture exhibit pushed the boundaries of the mosaiculture art. Origin and brief history of mosaiculture The origins of European-style mosaiculture dates back to embroidered parterres of the 16th and 17th century. In his Théorie et pratique de jardinage (the theory and practice of gardening), published in 1709, Dezallier d Argenville, one of the Nôtre s best disciples, gave several examples of embroidered and compartmentalised parterres. At the end of the 1860 s, the term mosaiculture was used for the first time at Tête-d Or park in Lyon, France, by a gardener called J. Chrétien to designate the new form of floral decoration which combined tapestry and British floral baskets. The original idea was to create simple geometric shapes, but interest generated by figurative parterres of Comesse, representing vases and butterflies, at the 1878 Universal Exhibit, led to the prominence of animal designs and heraldic emblems until the end of the century. In Italy, mosaiculture tapestries representing biblical scenes became very popular. In time, because of the specialised expertise and care demanded of mosaiculture, the art became the domain of public services. The most commonly illustrated subjects are blazons, city coats of arms, insignia, emblems and some emblematic animals. The origins of Eastern mosaiculture which dates back to a few decades and is mostly threedimensional are little known.
An Introduction to Mosaiculture(2) Recent Developments in Mosaiculture With the coming of the new millennium, mosaiculture has expended rapidly with Mosaiculture International Montreal 2000. From specialized horticultural art, mosaiculture has become a spectacular international event where cities from around the world imaginatively compete to present their culture and attractions through majestic floral works of art that must now respect the principles of sustainable development. The event, accredited by the International Mosaiculture Committee with their head office in Montreal, is now organized every three years, in different cities around the world. Hamamatsu has been chosen for holding the 2009 edition. MIS2006 MIM2000 MIM2000 MIM2000 MIM2003 MIS2006 Location Montreal Montreal Shanghai Theme The Planet is a Mosaic Myths and Legends of the World The Earth,Our Village Dates 19 Jun - 9 Oct 2000 (113 days) 20 Jun - 13 Oct 2003 (116 days) 15 Sep - 30 Nov 2006 (77 days) Participants 35 cities / 14 countries 51 cities / 32 countries 55 cities / 15 countries Venue Old Port / 6 ha Old Port / 12 ha Shanghai Century Park / 30 ha Attendance 731,000 people 755,000 people 850,000 people
As part of the coming of Mosaiculture International Hamamats 2009, the Flower Park will become a magical theatre where different movements of the symphony inspired by the relationship between man, nature and his planet. These movements will take the colors of the different cultures that have composed them and express themselves through unique and spectacular living works of art, while astounding thousands of expected visitors. This symphony can express different aspects of this relationship, for example: How is this relationship expressed in an urban or rural landscape? How is this relationship expressed in different cultures? How is this relationship expressed in the history of the participating city? How does this relationship shape our planet and its environment? The participants are free to express this relationship as they experience it. Mosaiculture International Hamamatsu 2009 will introduce to Japan a new horticultural art which will rally the Orient and Occident in a brilliant symphony showcasing our love for nature and the planet we live on.
Benefits for participating cities Invitation to be part of the opening and closing ceremony Opportunity to participate in official events designed to promote international cultural and economic exchanges Opportunity to participate in the City Promotion Corner and International Product Fair at the site of the Exposition Opportunity for the participating cities that wish to present their culture and attractions during a promotional day reserved specifically for them. Promotional opportunities for participating cities will be provided by a cable television programme to be produced on the Mosaiculture Exposition Production Company Hamamatsu Cable TV Broadcast area the prefectures of Shizuoka, Aichi, Mie and Gifu, representing a potential audience of 300,000 households (1 million people) Promotional opportunities within Shizuoka prefecture through local media exposure Newspaper TV Radio Official Home Page Level 15 (full page) Advertising Access to local free to air programs On-Line access to promote tourism and cultural information within radio programming Participant city Links and other information on the official web site