The Giant Corpse Flower BLOOMS
public event
2013
The deep-red gigantic bloom of an Amorphopallus titanium comes with a very foul odor, reminiscent of the smell of decomposing flesh. In the rain forests of Sumatra - its only native habitat – the stench and meat-like color attracts carcass-eating insects and thus secure pollination. Discovered and named by the Italian naturalist Odoardo Beccari in 1878, Amorphophallus titanum ("Giant Misshapen Phallus") has ever since attracted large audiences with its spectacular bloom inside hot houses all over the world.
The Giant Corpse Flower BLOOMS was performed in a greenhouse in Venice built in 1894, originally used for winter storage of the exotic plants shown in the coeval International Exhibitions of Art.
In collaboration with Art Lab Gnesta, Microclima and with gratitude to Helena Hildur for her convincing presentation and Håkan Andresson for his chemical expertise.