The Political Language of Flowers | Workshop

Presented by Francisco Masó, Florida Prize winner Across cultures and throughout history, flowers have appeared in political demonstrations, carrying meanings that extend far beyond their botanical forms. They have served as symbols of power, resistance, mourning, celebration, and collective identity. Inspired by Francisco Masó’s The Coronation of the Gladiolus, this participatory workshop invites participants to explore the political meanings of flowers while reflecting on the ways personal memories intersect with collective histories. Drawing on photographs, newspaper clippings, printed texts, and found imagery, participants will transform existing representations of flowers through painting, collage, drawing, and other artistic interventions. These individual contributions will form a collective garden—a living archive of shared experiences and cultural references. The workshop encourages participants to consider how images can be reinterpreted through personal experience and how flowers continue to function as powerful visual languages of dissent, resilience, hope, and celebration.