{"id":33545,"date":"2026-08-19T14:30:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T14:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/33545\/"},"modified":"2026-08-19T14:30:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T14:30:09","slug":"brussels-grand-place-is-carpeted-with-750000-fresh-dahlias-in-a-tribute-to-hokusai-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/be\/33545\/","title":{"rendered":"Brussels’ Grand-Place Is Carpeted with 750,000 Fresh Dahlias in a Tribute to Hokusai \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"

In Brussels\u2019 iconic Grand-Place, a summer tradition literally blossoms in monumental style. The city\u2019s Flower Carpet<\/a> event, which this year celebrated its 24th edition, celebrates art, community, and diplomacy in the heart of Belgium\u2019s capital, which is also the hub of the European Union. From August 13 to 16, the event marked 160 years of friendship between the nation and Japan, inviting artist Hiro Sugiyama<\/a> to design a city square-sized composition, which he conceived as a tribute to ukiyo-e<\/a> artist Katsush<\/a>i<\/a>ka Hokusai<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Titled \u201cNeo Hokusai,\u201d the monumental arrangement comprised more than 750,000 fresh dahlias, covering nearly 14,000 square feet. Framed with ornate patterns, the reimagining of the famous woodblock print \u201cThe Great Wave Off Kanagawa,\u201d from Hokusai\u2019s series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (1830-1832), glows in bright magenta, vermilion, and yellow. Flowers covered about 80 percent of the entire design.<\/p>\n

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Dahlias aren\u2019t the only species artists choose to use for the carpet, although the 2024 edition also incorporated the voluminous blossoms. In 2018, a design highlighting the central Mexican region of Guanajuato grew out of one million begonias and was captured in an aerial timelapse by Joerg Daiber<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This year, the dahlias are sourced in partnership with Bloemencorso Loenhout<\/a>, a giant flower parade that has been running for three quarters of a century in the northern city of Loenhout. This year, the event kicks off on September 12.<\/p>\n

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