Singapore’s This Humid House wins first prize at the prestigious Flora International Flower Festival 2024

This Humid House needs no introduction to Singaporeans. The works of the botanical studio has re-shaped the perception of floral installations with its enigmatic experiments adorning restaurants, hotels, homes, as well as events and weddings of the creative and well-heeled set.

On Oct 18, This Humid House became globally celebrated. It was awarded the first prize at the Flora International Flower Festival – the world’s most prestigious contemporary floral art event held annually in the Spanish city of Cordoba. This year, it runs from now till Oct 25.

The win marks a historic achievement for Singapore – This Humid House is the first artist from the city-state to participate in Flora this year. It is also the only representative from Asia this year. The second prize was awarded to prominent floral artist Emily Thompson for her installation called Inversions. Other notable entries included Coyote Flowers, Carolin Ruggaber and Eugenio Ampudia.

“We are incredibly honoured to have won first prize at Flora 2024. Being the first botanical artist from Singapore to participate in this renowned festival is a privilege, and winning is a testament to our teams’ dedication to showcasing the complex, multispecies relationships that are central to our practice,” said John Lim, who founded This Humid House in 2017. It opened a Paris studio in 2021.

He elaborated: “It’s an incredible feeling to have our work affirmed in this way. This win not only encourages us to keep building on what we’ve achieved over the past six years, but it also broadens our mandate which is to inspire others to see the potential of plants and flowers as powerful mediums of expression. It helps us cultivate a wider audience, raise awareness and encourage more people on their creative journeys.”   

The jury comprised Flora 2023’s winner Tadao Cern, Lucía Casani – the general director of the Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation – and Disbel Roque, artist and cultural manager. They chose the entry for “its perfect adaption to the Multispecies theme, its dialogues with the space, its use of materials and its originality.”

Situated in the region of Andalusia, Cordoba was once a vital Roman city before becoming a major Islamic centre in the Middle Ages, which resulted in the architecture’s Moorish influences. The setting for the installation was in a courtyard of the Palacio de la Merced that dates back to the 18th century.

This Humid House’s installation was titled Between Magnolias. The title reflects its placement between the centuries-old magnolia trees in the Patio del Reloj of the Palacio de la Merced. “This poetic reference highlights the invisible world of multispecies interactions – those subtle connections between flora, fauna and other beings that we seldom notice in everyday life. The installation invites viewers to contemplate these hidden layers of coexistence and reflect on the interdependencies that shape our shared environments,” states the press release.

The installation towers above an archaic fountain and a sundial. Both – the give of water and keeper of time – “stand watch together, evoking the cycles of life and death.” The botanical installation put together by This Humid House presents a “speculative ecosystem” referencing diverse habitats, such as date palm piles that shelter beetles (reference: the beetles were the ancient pollinators of magnolias) and nest-like structures inspired by the homes of Andalusian white storks that tend to build their homes on top of manmade structures.

Other elements evoke the habitats of species found in nature, such as beehives, anthills with their biomorphic forms, and tubular bird feeders from loofahs that are filled with date palm and sunflower seeds to offer sustenance to the region’s native birds. Stretched from the weight of its fillings, yet porous to let light pass, the bird feeders, made in collaboration with local residences, present an alluring visual spectacle. 

Cordoba’s native vegetation such as palm leaves, fruit, statice, Limonium and foraged brunches were also featured. The date palm’s use – first established in the city by Abd al-Rahman I, the first Emir of Cordoba after he fled Syria – embodies the narrative of migration patterns that shape man’s evolving landscape.

The multispecies theme was augmented with a specially made soundscape titled Luminous II, created by Singapore-based multidisciplinary artist Zai Tang. It merges field recordings of nature from Singapore with recitations of Andalusian poetry to connect the natural world with human history.

Lim commented: “Multispecies was an incredibly complex theme to translate into a visual medium, especially in a way that resonates with a broad audience. We knew that it had to communicate effectively, and we had to use universally recognisable elements. At the same time, it had to be visually spectacular; after all, the habitats that other species build for themselves are architectural marvels. We felt a responsibility to honour these habitats in a way that would do them justice.”

The studio (a team of 14 in Singapore and one in Paris) was given four days to create the installation. “We were in our comfort zone with the materials we chose, particularly palm leaves and palm fruit, so there was a confidence to execute that well,” said Lim.

He found it challenging to interpret ‘habitat’ in a way that went beyond simply creating animal environments. “One happy accident was discovering how the date palm seeds worked in the bird feeders. The resulting limb-like forms added both familiarity and an element of surprise, which is always a rewarding outcome,” Lim elaborated.

The incorporation of locally foraged materials was also a sustainable move as it minimises carbon footprint and reinforces genius loci. The team designed it to evolve naturally over the exhibition period – no additional maintenance is necessary as the materials will remain beautiful as they dry and in transforming, reflect nature as it is.

Being chosen as the winner for the competition has been especially meaningful for Lim as he places Floral on a high pedestal. “Floristry has long been seen as a decorative art but what Flora does is extraordinary; it brings plants and flowers into the realm of contemporary art. The competition also opens up what is often a private, client-based product to a public audience.”

The same can be said for Lim, who melds unique and ubiquitous species in unexpected ways; trained as an architect, his creations reflect an adept eye for detail, as well as exhibit a strong grasp of proportion, scale and materiality.

Place and time are often referenced in his works, and this is no different with ‘Between Magnolias.’ Said Lim, “Being set in Cordoba’s historic courtyards, the works must respond to centuries of architecture and culture, which adds a poetic layer to the entire experience.”