The Valletta Cultural Agency has teamed up with Skyline Webcams to install a webcam on the roof of the Grandmaster’s palace for this purpose. The public may access it at any time through the following Skycams link: https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/malta/malta/valletta/st-george-square-valletta.html or by visiting the Valletta Cultural Agency Facebook Page. Thanks to these webcams, the public may also watch and follow the process of building the infiorata, as webcams will be live at all times.
Playfully titled ‘Beeodiversity’, this year’s infiorata is designed and conceived by artist Lisa Marie Kähler. This year’s design carries both a message of hope amidst the challenging times we are living in, as well as a message encouraging people to become aware of issues which threaten biodiversity, the theme for this year’s Valletta Green Festival.
This year’s infiorata is not only constructed from flowers, which were planted by the Environmental Lanscapes Consortium (ELC) prior to the Covid-19 outbreak in Malta, but also from other organic and sustainable materials, such as lemons andhazelnut shells. The focal point of the design is a large bee, a reminder of the important role that these insects play in our ecosystem. The flowers depicted represent the role of bees as pollinators, a key role in helping plants and trees to grow, while creating food and shelter for other species. The infiorata design also depicts extinct birds and dwarf elephants, which represent the loss we suffered and would suffer if bees were to go extinct as they are endangered by pollution, commercial farming and loss of habitat. The waves represent water which plays a key role in our survival, while the sand pit represents the future of the next generations to whom we owe a healthy environment. The sand pit at the bottom of the design represents an area of potential, symbolising how our actions will determine whether the earth will be left barren and void of biodiversity or whether it will flourish with plants and animals of all sorts.
In previous years, as many flowers as possible were donated to members of the public who visited the square at the end of the festival while the rest were re-used by ELC. This year, to conform to social distancing rules, the public is discouraged from going to the square both during and at the end of the festival, as all the flowers will be returned to ELC to be used in roundabouts across the island.
Follow the Valletta Cultural Agency’s Facebook page for more information, and tune in for the live-stream between the 7th and 10th of May.
