Embark on a journey and immerse yourself in the vibrant celebration of spring at Gardens by the Bay’s first-ever Australian-themed floral display, the Carnival of Flowers!
This spectacular display is inspired by Australia’s longest-running flower and most famous show, the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, and is presented in collaboration with the Toowoomba Regional Council. Known as the Garden City, Toowoomba’s reputation shines through in this event, featuring over 8,000 plants from 30 diverse varieties. Visitors can explore an array of exotic plants, many of which are native to Australia, with standout highlights including the kangaroo paw, grevillea, pink mulla mulla, and banksia.
Exotic flora and spectacular floats
Many Australian plants have unusual forms due to their adaptations to endure harsh environmental conditions such as arid climates, poor soil, and wildlife threats. The grevillea, for example, has a spider-like structure with long, nectar-rich styles replacing traditional petals, and the bottlebrush-resembling pink mulla mulla has cone-shaped, cylindrical flower heads densely packed with tiny, soft flowers.
Visitors can also look forward to 14 different varieties of kangaroo paws – the largest selection ever on show – in uncommon hues like blue-green and purple. This whimsical plant has woolly, tubular flowers that resemble a kangaroo’s curved fingers.
In a nod to the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers’ annual float parade, there will be spectacular floral floats crafted from preserved flowers in the floral display alongside mini floats made by preschool children from TOUCH Child Care (Clementi) in their art class. These include a Ferris wheel more than 4m in height and a rotating carousel that breaks from tradition – the animals featured are those found on an Australian farm!
The floral display will also be adorned with almost 400 wooden ornaments of Australian flora and fauna, such as kangaroos, echidnas, platypuses and eucalyptus leaves – jointly painted by students from Singapore’s Canberra Primary School and Toowoomba’s Rangeville State School, in a virtual collaboration.
First Nations art and larger than life paper flowers
Australia’s First Nations culture will be conveyed through art specially created by Toowoomba and Bunya Mountains artists for the floral display. The 3m-tall Genestreaming Journey Sculpture is a gift to Gardens by the Bay. The sculpture is a giant evolutionary tree highlighting deep time connections between species over millions of years. Shaped like a budding flower, it features First Nations art on the inside and naturalist art on the outside. It is a collaboration between artists Ben Beeton and Mali Moir, First Nations artists, engineers and Toowoomba artists. These sculptures are a nationwide initiative in Australia which celebrate First Nations culture, scientific discoveries, and conservation. This is the first time that a Genestreaming Journey Sculpture is being exhibited beyond Australian shores. It symbolises the friendship between Singapore and Australia.
The second piece of art are digital artworks by Australia First Nations Mununjali artist Kim Walmsley, featuring her interpretation of Songlines – a route through landscapes that is embedded with the geographical, mythological, and cultural information of First Nations people. Her artwork will be showcased on areas such as the totem poles in the yarning circle – a traditional gathering place used by First Nations people to share their experiences and build relationships – recreated in the floral display.
The floral display also features larger-than-life sculptures of native Australian blooms crafted from paper and other materials by Singaporean paper artist Pei Li (also known as PeiPer). This is her first exploration of Australia’s unique flora, including the Golden Wattle, the country’s national flower known for its fluffy, brush-like appearance. Each flower of the Golden Wattle has approximately 1,680 stamens, and Pei Li meticulously sculpted each stamen from a mix of thread, clay and wire, then colour-sprayed them individually, before fixing them to the core.
Carnival of Flowers
Date: Till Sunday, 17 November 2024
Time: 9am to 9pm
Venue: Flower Dome (Admission charges apply)
Details: Singapore residents enjoy complimentary entry to Impressions of Monet: The Experience from Mondays to Thursdays with a Flower Dome ticket purchase.
Hashtags: #gardensbythebay #CarnivalOfFlowersGBB #FlowerDome #VisitSingapore
Please visit www.gardensbythebay.com.sg/carnivalofflowers for more details.
