Brussels’ landmark Grand-Place transformed once again this summer as the Flower Carpet returned for its 24th edition. From August 13 to 16, the vast square staged a vivid salute to cultural exchange, marking 160 years of friendship between the nation and Japan. The city invited artist Hiro Sugiyama to conceive a new, plaza-spanning composition—an homage to ukiyo-e master Katsush i ka Hokusai—realized entirely in fresh blooms.
A floral homage to Hokusai
Titled “Neo Hokusai,” the design assembled more than 750,000 dahlias across nearly 14,000 square feet. At its center, a reimagining of The Great Wave Off Kanagawa—from Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji (1830-1832)—surges across the square in saturated bands of magenta, vermilion, and yellow, edged by ornate, rhythmic borders. Approximately 80 percent of the layout was composed of flowers, turning the cobblestones into a temporary canvas whose scale could be grasped from surrounding balconies and high vantage points.
While dahlias dominate this year’s spectacle, the palette of species has shifted over time. The 2024 edition also embraced the flower’s voluminous forms, and in 2018 the carpet focused on Guanajuato using one million begonias—an effort documented by Joerg Daiber in an aerial timelapse. Such variations underscore how the event continually retools its materials to suit each theme and collaborator.
Tradition, sourcing, and community
To realize Neo Hokusai, organizers partnered with Bloemencorso Loenhout, a giant flower parade in the northern city of Loenhout known for its intricate dahlia constructions. This year, the parade kicks off on September 12, linking the Grand-Place’s ephemeral tableau to a wider regional network of floral craftsmanship.
Set in the heart of Belgium’s capital—also the hub of the European Union—the Flower Carpet channels art, community, and diplomacy into a shared civic moment. As the petals begin to fade, what lingers is the memory of a city square temporarily remade into a luminous tribute to Hokusai and a gesture of international friendship.
