Flowers in Motion: Rethinking Sustainability in the Cut-Flower Sector Through Dialogue and Dance
Flowers in Motion: Rethinking Sustainability in the Cut-Flower Sector Through Dialogue and Dance is an interdisciplinary curatorial symposium that brings together dance and conversations around topics of economics, pesticides and justice. Moving beyond conventional approaches of the flower sector, this symposium invites participants to reflect on flowers not only as commodities or symbols of beauty, but as living beings embedded in complex ecological, social, and economical systems.
Context & Positioning
As part of PtS Tackling Gender Inequality and Sustainability in Agribusiness, over the past two years we have been listening and following stories from the cut-flower sector in the Netherlands and Colombia through conversations, encounters, and shared reflections. What emerged is not a single narrative, but multiple experiences that enrich our understanding of this field and its many layers.
Field trip to Colombia
Visit to Aristides' farm, a well known grower in Colombian traditional flowers fair.
Hortensias growers in Colombia
Visit to Raul and Sandra's farm, hortensias growers.
Organic flowers in the Netherlands
Visit to Plukkerz, organic flowers growers in the Netherlands.
Tulips grower in the Netherlands
Visit to Munster Flowers, conventional tulip growers in the Netherlands
Why flowers?
Flowers are among the most universal symbols for human emotions: happiness, love, grief, pride, and sadness. They are present in our graduation ceremonies, weddings, birthdays, and the departure of our beloved. Our buildings, gardens, and towns are surrounded by flowers. We place them in our homes to bring beauty, calm, and a sense of connection to nature. Yet, when we buy flowers, we rarely ask: where do they come from? Who grew them? Under what conditions? With what costs and benefits?
The cut-flower sector has different dimensions and impacts. It generates work, business possibilities, and economic income. However, for a colorful bouquet to be on your table, a lot of pesticides need to be used to comply with international market demands, creating potential health consequences for workers and nearby residents.
Invitation
This symposium invites participants to look beyond the surface of flowers and learn more about the benefits and to confront the hidden costs embedded in their production.
By establishing dialogues among multiple speakers, and dancing as an expression of human-body relations with flowers and emotions, we explore what “sustainable” truly means. How can we navigate the different dimensions of the cut-flower sector, environmental responsibility, and social justice?
Save the date and sign up!
On June 5, 2026 we are presenting our final symposium at Centraal Museum from 12:00 to 17:00, where everyone is invited to join us. Please sign up here!
"Tackling gender inequality and sustainability in agribusiness" is one of the signature projects that are part of the strategic theme Pathways to Sustainability.