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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 bike parking nearby and a marina where you can leave the boat during your visit ashore.
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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