Date: 31 July 2022
Time: 13:00 – 14:30 uur
With: Sanne Vaassen
Location: Marres, Capucijnenstraat 98 Maastricht
Language: Dutch
Workshop: Max 10 people.
Can we speak in flowers?*
During the workshop at Marres participants are invited to create flower arrangements and discover the secret language of the flowers by using a ‘Flower Dictionary’ to translate the flowers into words.
The workshop will focus on the ‘secret language of flowers’; Floriography. The use of this language was customary amongst a certain class of Victorians to present gifts consisting of flowers and plants arranged into bouquets to convey a coded message. Upon receiving one of these ‘Nosegay’ one could reference a Victorian society flower dictionary to de-code the message. Within these dictionaries, the language of the flowers is described in detail. Small conversations were exchanged with speaking bouquets.
Sanne Vaassen is interested in how flowers have been used as carriers of messages for cultures, religions and nations. She investigates how these symbols have been developed, interpreted, taken over or adapted and forgotten.
*title of the workshop is a poem by Nayyirah Waheed
About Sanne Vaassen
Sanne Vaassen (1991, Heerlen) is a visual artist. She lives and works in Maastricht. Her œuvre can be seen as a long-term investigation into the recording of time. For example, she is interested in traditions and how they transform, the changing concept of values, the way in which man deals with his history and the mysticism that is contained in nature.
De Ommuurde Tuin
The garden of Marres has a rich history and offers space to large fig trees, flowering shrubs such as hawthorn and winter jasmine, ferns and flowers such as tulips and dahlias. The garden is also populated by a large number of birds, insects, butterflies, toads and frogs. At the very back is a monumental ice house where ice used to be stored in the hot summer months. With all the beauty that the garden of Marres has to offer, artist Gladys Zeevaarders has put together a publication. She asked 10 artists to connect their own practice with the walled garden. The result: a beautiful publication with commissions from 10 different artists. This can be ordered in our webshop or for sale in our museum shop.