Discovering public art pieces in each new city you visit is an amazing experience. They allow you to explore the art scene of a new country without paying for expensive museum tickets. One of the best examples is Floralis Genérica, Buenos Aires’s most imposing public sculpture.
This steel and aluminum sculpture has only been around for about a decade, but that didn’t stop it from becoming one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.
Don’t let its cold exterior trick you into thinking that Floralis Genérica isn’t as delicate as real flowers. Due to the special electrical mechanism, its petals actually open every morning and they close at sunset, with many curious onlookers observing the sculpture.
It was introduced to the public in 2002, and the Argentine architect Eduardo Catalano was the mastermind behind it. Catalano’s goal was for Floralis Genérica to represent “a hope reborn every day” through the act of opening and closing its metallic petals.
To see this 23-meters-high sculpture in person, head to the Plaza Naciones Unidas while in Buenos Aires, and make sure you’re there at the right time if you want to watch the petals open and close.