Flowers: From Renaissance to Artificial Intelligence

The Chiostro del Bramante in Rome presents an extraordinary journey through five centuries of art, culture, and innovation with "Flowers: From Renaissance to Artificial Intelligence." This remarkable exhibition runs from February 14, 2025, through January 18, 2026, showcasing the universal power of flowers to unite art, science, and technology in a narrative that spans centuries.
 

A Universal Language That Transcends Time

Flowers speak a universal language that crosses centuries and cultures. They tell stories of emotion, celebrate beauty, protest silently, and preserve ancient traditions. This sensory journey features over 90 works from 10 different countries, creating an unprecedented reading of the role flowers have played in the evolution of our history and society.

The exhibition features masterpieces spanning from the 16th to the 21st century. Paintings, sculptures, manuscripts, tapestries, photographs, site-specific installations, augmented reality works, and artificial intelligence creations interweave to tell the story of the encounter between art and nature.
 

Masterpieces Across the Centuries

Distinguished masters featured include Jan Brueghel the Elder, whose narrative presents flowers as silent protagonists of a vast symbolic universe between sacred and profane. Girolamo Pini showcases extraordinary attention to botanical detail, while Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris offer delicate floral representations that evoke the ethereal beauty typical of the Pre-Raphaelite movement.
 

Contemporary Visions

Contemporary sculptures by Ai Weiwei and Kapwani Kiwanga use flowers as metaphors for resistance and regeneration, highlighting social and environmental challenges of our time. Studio Drift captivates with technological installations inspired by natural processes, while Kehinde Wiley offers a bold and vibrant interpretation of floral themes.

Miguel Chevalier explores the question of naturalness and artificiality through immersive installations, and Rebecca Louise Law creates a suggestive corridor where visitors find themselves literally surrounded by flowers, offering an unrepeatable sensory experience.
 

Immersive Experiences and Innovation

The exterior of the Chiostro becomes part of the exhibition, completely transformed into an earthly paradise by an installation signed by Austin Young (Fallen Fruit). A special section highlights flowers in science and politics, emphasizing how these natural symbols have often played crucial roles in cultural and social dynamics.
 

Sensory Pathways

Two unique sensory experiences enhance the exhibition:

• Biodiversity Garden: An immersive pathway created by Coldiretti in the heart of the Chiostro del Bramante, where Italian trees, shrubs, and flowers tell the story of biodiversity and the role of urban greenery in improving quality of life
• Olfactory Journey: Designed by Campomarzio70, featuring four noble flowers used in perfumery – orange blossom, jasmine, rose, and tuberose – each present individually in dedicated rooms with accessible scent columns for all visitors
   

Educational Mission and Sustainability

In a historic moment when climate change and biodiversity loss pose unprecedented challenges, "Flowers" becomes a manifesto for sustainability. The exhibition proposes works that invite the public to observe nature with fresh eyes and question their own responsibilities.

Interactive works like "Honeycomb Head of the Emperor Hadrian" by Tomáš Gabzdil Libertíny and "Meadow" by Studio Drift allow visitors to immerse themselves in emotional and educational experiences about ecosystem adaptation and environmental preservation.
 

International Collaboration

The Chiostro del Bramante partnered with prestigious institutions worldwide, including the Louvre, Musée d'Orsay, Petit Palais, and Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew in London, Galleria Borghese, Biblioteca Casanatense, Badisches Landesmuseum in Karlsruhe, and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
 

Practical Information for Visitors

Opening Hours

• Sunday to Thursday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
• Friday and Saturday: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
• Ticket office closes one hour before closing time

Location

Chiostro del Bramante
Arco della Pace, 5
Rome, Italy

Located in the heart of Rome, just steps from Piazza Navona, the Renaissance architecture designed by Donato Bramante in 1500 provides the ideal setting for this extraordinary event that combines art, nature, and technology.
 

Enhanced Experience Features

• Audio podcast narrated by Alessandro Preziosi, offering unique interpretations and hidden details
• Educational programs for groups, schools, and families
• Sign language interpretation visits available
• Accessibility features including multi-height scent columns for all visitors

The exhibition promises to be one of the most evocative shows of 2025-2026, a journey between beauty and strength that captivates and surprises international visitors seeking to discover Italy's cultural treasures.

Visit the official exhibition website for tickets and additional information

Photo Credits: https://www.chiostrodelbramante.it/post_mostra/flowers-fiori-nell-arte/