GO BACK

Cut Flowers with Ala Younis

Program type
Workshop

21 May 2025

05:00 PM - 07:00 PM

Western Hajj Terminal - Jeddah - Workshop E - Public Programs Building

get directions

Age Group Adults

100

Share this event

About the event

In this workshop, participants are invited to explore the overlooked yet intricate journey of cut flowers, from their harvest on farms to their brief moment of sale at international auctions. Once plucked, flowers begin losing value about 15% each day. Within just two days, they arrive at auction houses, primarily in the Netherlands, where rapid-fire bidding leaves buyers only seconds to act. If not sold, these flowers are destroyed along with the farmer’s investment in cultivation and shipping.

Through painting, drawing, and collage, participants will visually interpret this seven-day passage, capturing the transformation of the flowers as they move through sorting, packing, transit, and sale. The workshop will also look beyond the auction, considering what happens after the flowers are bought, how they continue to mature, wilt, and shift form in their final destinations. These works will be compiled into an artist’s publication that reflects on the fragile, time-bound existence of cut flowers and the global systems that shape their ephemeral lives.

Language: English and Arabic

What will you learn?

Participants will gain insight into the global systems that shape the life of cut flowers. They will also learn how to creatively express this journey using various art techniques.

Who is it for?

This workshop is for artists, creatives, and anyone interested in uncovering the hidden stories behind everyday objects.

Led By

Ala Younis

Artist, "Cut Flowers" 2025

Ala Younis is a research-based artist with curatorial, film, and publishing projects. Using objects, scenography, lecture-performance, and printed matter, she...

full bio