Mosaïculture blends sculpture, painting and horticulture
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I’ve never seen anything quite like it in Canada. It’s what happens at the botanical gardens or the garden show when you give teams of landscape architects, engineers, horticultural artists and sculptor-welders carte blanche (and a good budget) to push the boundaries of play and raise their respective crafts to the level of high art. The result is the unique and magnificent living works known as Mosaïculture.
The fantasy of Cirque du Soleil meets the garden store at Mosaïculture Gatineau 2018.
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The world premiere of Mosaïculture was in Montréal in 2000. 35 cities from 14 countries participated. For Canada’s birthday in 2017 MosaïCanada 150 attracted 1.3 million visitors and Mosaïculture Gatineau 2018 continues the tradition in Jacques-Cartier Park, just across the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge from Ottawa.
Mosaïculture takes watering the plants to a whole new level. The Bird Tree is 16 metres tall, with 56 bird species represented in a crown 18 metres in diameter. The tree is designed to remind us of the earth’s endangered species and ecosystems. It weighs over 100 tons and contains approximately 350,000 plants.
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It’s an ever-changing magic kingdom storybook walk through 45 floral masterpieces created with more than 5.5 million plants. But who’s counting? No, really, who counted all those plants?? The volunteers and paid staff required to maintain this installation number about 300.
Legions of volunteers and staff maintain the exhibits as they grow and change throughout the seasons.
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And it’s more than just a horticultural tour de force; each week, Mosaïculture Gatineau serves up something new and the site will be a major player in the social and cultural life of the National Capital Region.
An oasis on the Ottawa River near the Museum of History, the National Gallery and the Parliament of Canada.
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Mosaïculture Gatineau has teamed up with a baker’s dozen of the best neighbourhood restaurants. Four restos will be featured each week at the site to promote local ingredients and give patrons a sample of their fare. There’s even going to be an app for that.
More than 150 plant varieties have been used to create the charactors and stories of Mosaïculture Gatineau 2018.
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Since it’s made up of living material, the experience changes on a daily basis as the plants grow, flower, seed and change with the seasons. Those looking for plant names and growing characteristics will be treated to a special garden containing an example of each of the more than 150 plant varieties used in the installations.
On May 23rd, 1887, the Canadian Pacific Railway’s Engine No. 374 pulled into Vancouver, hauling the first passenger train to have come all the way from Montreal, and achieving the national dream of linking the east to the west of Canada by rail.
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Throughout the season, as the sculptures grow and change, themed events representing Canada’s cultural diversity will take place at this venue. Check the website for weekly festivals and activities right into the autumn and Thanksgiving and Harvest/Fall Colour events. Mosaïculture Gatineau 2018 runs until October 15, 2018.
There is plenty of space for kids to run around, but the storybook quality of Mosaïculture belies a very grownup fascination with the characters.
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There is bike parking nearby and a marina where you can leave the boat during your visit ashore.
Mosaïculture Gatineau 2018 is located in Jacques-Cartier Park, Gatineau, Quebec, just across the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge from Ottawa. Enter at the corner of Laurier and Saint-Étienne streets.
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Roadstories.ca would like to thank the good folks at Ottawa Tourism for putting us up at a very nice hotel during our stay in the nation’s capital.
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