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The Guggenheim Bilbao: more than a Puppy

Jeff Koons is not my favourite artist. In fact, I don’t really like his work. But I do like his Puppy. And I loved the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, inside and out. Koons’ Puppy is suitably festive outside Frank Gehry’s trademark gay curves. In the plaza next to the museum, towering over pedestrians, Koons’ highland terrier is a…

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Vertical Gardens, Spanish style

Patrick Blanc’s vertical garden at the Caixa Forum in Madrid is even more spectacular than the photos suggest. It is located in the old section of Madrid, beside the busy Paseo del Prado and near the Reina Sofia, one of Madrid’s outstanding art museums. Passers-by give a sense of scale. I wish I could give you some…

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Is Mosaiculture topiary?

Strictly speaking, the answer is — no. Both are living sculptures, but they are made in different ways. Mosaiculture is also a contemporary form of plant display, while topiary has a long and distinguished history, dating back to  Roman times. So, what are the differences? The most obvious one is that topiary uses a single plant to create…

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Mosaiculture: a different kind of art

Mosaiculture is the name given to three dimensional sculptures made of plants. This summer, the Montreal Botanical Garden played host to dozens of creations from around the world, all illustrating the theme, Land of Hope. I postponed visiting the show until a few weeks ago, thinking I wouldn’t like it. But I did. I was captured by…

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I am confused

Do I look confused? I am. Help straighten me out! Last week I included a survey in my blog post. Many of you responded. But even more of you did not. Will you take a few minutes now to respond? I’d really appreciate it. Your input will help me make the blog better! And that,…

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