herman de vries transforms the Upper Belvedere with 108 pounds of lavender

An intense fragrance fills the Carlone Hall in the Upper Belvedere: An elliptical formation comprising fifty-four kilograms of bluish-purple flowers is spread over the floor and so enters into a dialog with the frescoes by Carlo Innocenzo Carlone. In his Conceptual work 108 pounds of lavender flowers, Dutch artist herman de vries has introduced a piece of nature into this Baroque setting. Acquired last year for the Belvedere’s collection, the installation is now being presented in the CARLONE CONTEMPORARY exhibition series. A multi-sensory visitor experience thus unfurls beneath the illusionistic ceiling fresco. General director and curator Stella Rollig: herman de vries knows how to make nature’s tranquil presence palpable. His works invite us to pause and consciously absorb the sensory effect of the natural elements. 108 pounds of lavender flowers evokes a poetic dialog between the minimalist arrangement of lavender flowers and the opulent