Mosaïcultures Internationales de Montréal 2013 - part 2
In 2013, the Montreal International Mosaicultures exhibition was at the Montreal Botanical Garden. The theme was Earth of Hope. With 48 spectacular works from 18 countries, the Botanical Garden was transformed into a wonderland from June 22 to September 29. The exhibition has been extended to October 6 for people to see the works awarded by the jury and by the public.
On June 9, 2013, I was fortunate enough to have a day pass; I was able to visit and photograph the mosaicultures as they were being assembled. Here are my best photos taken before, during, and after this sensational exhibition. The works are numbered from 1 to 48, as in the order of the plan in 2013.
I made eight projects of six works to show you all the horticultural and environmental creations of this exhibition. A ninth project will soon follow with the 25 award-winning works.
Here is a short video that quickly shows the assembly of some works.
In this project you will see mosaicultures from : Belgium, United States, China & Japan.
7. Belgium – Province of Hainaut – The Insects' Garden
The province of Hainaut in Belgium has integrated a plan to combat the use of pesticides. This work demonstrates her interest in her environment.
The Maya Plan was created in Belgium to ensure the survival of bees and foraging insects, which are essential to the survival of many plant species. In the villages, hives are installed, trees and melliferous plants are planted (the pollen of which allows the production of honey) and then nature is left to continue the work.
More than a third of the fruits and vegetables we eat come from a pollination event.
In nature, about 70 to 90% of the reproduction of flowering plants relies on pollinating insects, hence the importance of protecting them.
8. United States – Atlanta – Fragile frogs !
The Earth is home to 4740 species of frogs. According to the International Union for Conservation of Wildlife, 1900 species of frogs are in danger of extinction.
To help save one of them, the Gopher Frog, the Atlanta Botanical Garden has begun a program to reintroduce this animal into a protected area.
The Gopher Frog, the Marsupial Frog, the Leopard Frog and the Lemur Frog (which lives in trees) were designed by the Atlanta Botanical Garden in honor of its Gopher Frog Restoration Program.
The Lemurian Frog sculpture (above) was in the city of Atlanta during the summer of 2021. If you click on the link, you can see this beautiful frog with the information below:
"The sculpture is modeled after a native Lemur frog from Central America - it is found only in Colombia, Costa Rica and Panama. Currently on the endangered species list, the Lemur frog has lost more than 80 percent of its population in Panama and is on the decline in Costa Rica. Lemur frogs are bright green during the day and turn brown when they hunt at night.
More than 1,500 plants cover the metal frame of the frog, which will be cared for weekly by the garden’s horticulture team. The plants on the frog are Alterananthera “True Yellow” and Dichondra argentea “Silverfalls,” and its lilypad is covered in moss."
9. China – Shanghai – A True Story !
This magnificent mosaiculture pays tribute and evokes the story of Xu Xiujuan had loved red-headed cranes since childhood. After graduating from university, she went far away to the Yancheng Nature Reserve to take care of these cranes. But one day, while trying to rescue an injured crane, she slipped in a swamp... The crane was rescued without the girl being able to get to the surface.
The moving story of this young girl was told throughout China, from south to north, and touched the hearts of thousands of people. To pay tribute to the great spirit of the girl who saved the crane at the cost of her life, a song was composed to tell this story. The title of this song is... A true story.
The red-headed crane has a red spot on its head and spends its winters in China and Korea and also lives in Siberia and on the island of Hokkaido. This bird is an endangered species.
At the link below, we can see a portrait of Xu Xiujuan and read the following:
"Xu Xiujuan (October 16, 1964 - September 16, 1987), female, was the first martyr of the nature reserve to die in the line of duty. [1] She was born on October 16, 1964, in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province, to a Manchu fisherman family, a family of crane breeders. She received a good family education from an early age. Xu Xiujuan often helped her parents feed the cranes when she was a child, and implicitly fell in love with the cranes.
Raising cranes is the most difficult and tiring job, but she did a great job in carrying water, preparing food, feeding cranes, releasing cranes, cleaning crane houses, and treating sick cranes. The survival rate of the young cranes she raised alone reached 100%, and the cranes that were domesticated could dance and fly under human command. National leaders have visited the reserve and watched Xu Xiujuan's crane taming performance."
10. Japan – Tokyo – Shibuya – Hachiko, faithful dog
Hachiko's work, Faithful Dog is inspired by a true story and illustrates the strong bond that can be established between a human and an animal.
Hachiko is of the Akita breed, "a large breed of dog native to the mountainous regions of northern Japan". *
Hachiko has been the subject of two films including "A Dog's Tale" shot in 2009, Hollywood version. In reality, Hachiko, a dog of the Akita Inu breed, belonged to the professor of the Tokyo Imperial University, Hidesaburo Ueno. Every day, Hachiko accompanied and waited patiently for her master at Shibuya Station. Her master died at work due to an intracerebral hemorrhage. Even after the death of his master, Hachiko, nicknamed "Faithful Dog" by the Japanese, waited for him daily for 10 years at Shibuya Station. Hachiko represents loyalty for the Japanese people and a statue of her is installed at the exit of Shibuya station.
11. Japan, Hamamatsu – Hamamatsu, Symbiosis of Man and Nature
Hamamatsu is not only an industrial city centered on manufacturing industry - we see musical instruments being made here. It is a metropolis where industry and nature coexist in harmony. The city has set itself the goal of joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. That is why the piano, the symbol of Hamamatsu City, is used as the main object of the work.
The loggerhead turtle (an endangered species) benefits from the nature protection activities organized by the city. The water represents the sounds played by the piano to give the impression of flying to a future land filled with hope.
12. Japan – Hiroshima – A Dove for the Peace
"This work represents a dove, a recognized symbol of peace. Every year on August 6, the mayor of Hiroshima reads the Declaration of Peace and this is followed by the flight of a thousand doves, which carry our wishes for peace to the heavens.
The dove is presented in the hands of a person and you can see its shadow on the ground. Forming shadows that represent animals is a traditional game popular with children in Japan.
By presenting a dove as a symbol of peace, with hands reaching out from the ground, we wish to express our sincere desire for a world of peace, where all people will join hands despite national and cultural differences.
We believe that this work can make people aware of the importance of peace for the City of Hiroshima, which experienced an atomic bombing."
In the summer of 2022, for the first time, the Montreal International Mosaicultures exhibition
will be in Quebec City, at Bois-de-Coulonge Park.
