Flowers in ink, flowers in crystal
200 years of Floraliën and 200 years of Val-Saint-Lambert. They are celebrating their anniversary together with a joint exhibition at Liberas in Ghent. The exhibition is free on presentation of your Floraliën ticket, on the date of your ticket. Without a Floraliën ticket, you pay 10 euros.
Flowers in ink, flowers in crystal. Floraliën meets Val-Saint-Lambert brings together two private heritage collections in one exhibition, with illustrations of flowers as the leitmotif.
Flowers in ink displays pieces from the heritage collection of the Royal Society for Agriculture and Botany. Founded in 1808, this Ghent-based association has been the driving force behind the world-famous Ghent Floraliën event for two centuries. The historical library of the KMLP, a unique collection of hundreds of often very rare botanical books and magazines, has found a safe home in the Liberas building for the past ten years. This collection is carefully managed by the Floraliën Heritage Community. Flowers of Ink presents a chronological overview of flower illustrations from this library, ranging from medieval drawings to botanical prints from the late 19th century. The books in which these illustrations can be found – the oldest book dates from 1514 – are also on display in this exhibition.
Flowers of Crystal displays objects from the heritage collection of the Madeleine Foundation. This foundation, with a private museum in the heart of Brussels, is little known to the general public, but owns the largest collection of Val-Saint-Lambert crystal in the world. Val-Saint-Lambert crystal is famous for its unique designs and shapes, and was particularly sought after in the past as home decoration. In 1826, the Verreries et Etablissements du Val-Saint-Lambert factory was founded in Seraing near Liège. To mark its 200th anniversary, Crystal Flowers presents a chronological selection of crystal vases and other objects featuring floral illustrations. At the same time, two hundred years of history of the factory and its crystal production are also explained.
Practical information
Crystal Flowers runs from 1 to 10 May 2026, on the occasion of Floraliën. Ink Flowers also runs from 1 May, but can be visited after Floraliën until 31 August 2026.
The exhibition is free to visit with a Floraliën ticket. Without a ticket, admission is €10.
Address: Liberas - Kramersplein 23, 9000 Ghent
Opening hours: 9:00 to 18:00
