Small mountain town celebrates Easter with floral installations

Different scenes from the Passion of Christ inspire these unique floral installations to celebrate Easter in the old streets of Guia de Isora, a small mountain town on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. This year is the 3rd edition of these installations which are unknown anywhere else as a form of presenting an artistic interpretation of the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
On the morning of Holy Thursday groups from the Canarian Floral Art School, the Catalonian Floral Art School, the gardening company Zona Verde, and with the collaboration of the sculptor Miguel Ángel Martín, and teacher and floral art specialist Jordí Abelló, join with members of the local Ayuntamiento(Town Hall), to assemble the various installations in the narrow back streets of this old municipal town.
Using the urban space as part of their statements the artists place blood red crosses tumbling down steps to represent the repeated suffering that Jesus endured whilst carrying his personal execution device to Calvary. A huge topiary "NO x 3" to represent the 3 denials of the Apostle Peter sits on a wall shouting its message. Real Olive trees have been installed in an area behind the church to represent the Mount of Olives. Miguel Ángel Martín's sculpture depicting the fragmented body parts of Jesus and the two criminals crucified alongside him stand in front of one of the oldest houses in the town. Representing the ressurection, a cane and yellow tulip egg shaped basket with a straw nest carries real eggs inside and flower studded chocolate eggs adorn a wall top on the bridge over a barranco. A huge red cane chalice with lilies and white jerberas and a large white disc to describe the institution of the euchrist. Crowns of spiky cactus suspended from the façade of the town’s cultural centre show the painful headgear he wore. A dark leaf layered figure carries a garland of lillies, the solitude of Mary. Hanging over the street a royal blue and green sea of flowers and vegetable materials rises to the sky to represent the gloria.
This temporal display is a form of devotion by these highly religious people which serves to express their belief through a creative and highly decorative outlet which brings a different and very modern aspect to the celebration of what is the most important date in the catholic calendar. A sharp contrast to the more traditional passion plays and hooded processions which occur all over Spain.