BLOOM

Flowers are desired, loved and traded. They are seen as a symbol of peace, of life’s fragility and of enlightenment. These facets, and others, form the starting point for the Universalmuseum Joanneum and the Kunsthaus Graz to present the flower in all its facets in 2026: titled BLOOM, ten exhibitions show how flowers connect cultures, though also drive colonialism; how they inspire scientists and thereby create myths; and how they accompany humans from the cradle to the grave. From spring through to autumn, BLOOM invites visitors to delve deeper into the flower and its close relationship with humans. The high point is the festival month in June 2026, when the eight locations come into bloom with a wide range of events.

The highlight of the programme is ‘BLOOM June’, when the eight venues come to life with a wide range of events and educational programmes. Each weekend in June, the spotlight falls on a different museum. The focus is on the flower as a powerful cultural, aesthetic and social symbol.

All BLOOM days and festivals are free to attend!

Sat, 06.06.: BLOOM Day at Schloss Eggenberg
Sun, 07.06.: BLOOM-Tag in Schloss Trautenfels  

Sat, 13.06.: BLOOM Day at the Folk Life Museum at the Paulustor
Sun, 14.06.: BLOOM Day at the Sculpture Park. A summer festival

Sat, 20.06.: BLOOM Day at the Kunsthaus Graz
Sun, 21.06.: BLOOM Day at the Austrian Open-Air Museum Stübing

Sat, 27.06.: BLOOM Festival in the Joanneumsviertel.Wildwuchs
Sun, 28.06.: BLOOM Day at Schloss Stainz

In addition, the theme will be addressed through artistic interventions on show at all the locations, by artists such as Suzanne Anker, Daniela Brasil, Regula Dettwiler, Anita Fuchs, Claudia Larcher, Joiri Minaya, Ryts Monet, Spela Petric, Winfried Ritsch, Nina Schuiki and Thomas Stimm, among others.