From despair comes hope, and from death comes life. Easter is the time to celebrate these momentous swings, and what better way than through a combination of nature and art. Guia de Isora, above the west coast of Tenerife has established a four day exhibition of floral sculptures that wind around the narrow streets of this quiet Tenerife town. Pascua Florida attracted 21 designs for the 2019 edition and although the sun was shy, the quality of expression and design was bold and emotionally stunning.
One of the first exhibits to strike me was Transformation, designed by Carmen Barreña Moreno from the Spanish Association of Florists. Ropes, nails and thorns combined to show the transformation of the body to the spirit of Christ. Temptations Between Good And Evil from local artist Carlos Curbelo displayed the serpent from the Garden Of Eden on a bed of apples. Christ The Redeemer held a central position in the church square, invited artist Fernando Mena kept a classically simple image and its closeness to the church building added to the impact.
Breaking The Bread holds a special place in bible teachings and Carlos Curbelo revisited a previous theme to show the stark white ingredients in their basic form. This was in one of the back streets, La Vera, which featured some extra designs outside of the exhibition. The local council added their own inventive use of water piping coiled around flowers that are sustained by the water. In the background some classical choral music added to the affect. For a big splash of colour to underline the theme, Patricia Leon made Flowers Are Colours, providing a link to the Tenerife tradition of flower carpets.
The good people of Guia de Isora embrace the annual display, just as well as it makes use of many small spaces such as alleys and doorways. This was the case with Tears Of Christ, cascading around the entrance to a house. Juan Chamorro from Oviedo made the journey from the mainland to submit his design. Dismember, with its vibrant reds touched on sadness and violence, another fine work by Carlos Curbelo. The weekend had seen several re-enactments of The Passion around Tenerife, most notably the huge Adeje street theatre, True Image by Carlos Curbelo referred to a lady who wiped the blood from Christs face as he carried the cross, the image was preserved on her cloth.
Expiration captured the moment of crucifixion with hands outstretched to the heavens. This was also at a point near to the church plaza, and also came from Carlos Curbelo. The route around the town snaked through tight streets and walkways with many of the works only becoming visible at the last minute. 30 Coins was one piece that caught me off guard as I turned a corner. Montse Dominguez showed some of the 30 pieces of silver that Judas received for his betrayal.
Ascension was one of the bigger works near the far end of the route. It marked the rise to heaven of Christ, and was designed by Cristina de Leon Sabina, a florist from Alde. All points led back to the church plaza, where music and dance performances added to the four day event. This is just a selection of the full 21 piece line up, there was even an entry from a Hong Kong School of Floral Art designer this year. Each year Pascua Florida adds to its reputation and encourages more artistic contributors to get involved. A big thanks to all who worked so hard on this years crop.