Temple of Flowers / Tempio di Fiori, Austin Young, 2025–2026. Commissioned by Chiostro del Bramante, Rome
Temple of Flowers/
Tempio di Fiori
Austin Young
Chiostro del Bramante | Cultural center and museum, Rome
Opening: February 14, 2025
On view: February 14, 2025 – February 22, 2026
Extended / continued: FLOWERS – Meravigliosa Natura, March 18, 2026 – September 6, 2026
Via della Pace, 5, 00186 Roma RM, Italy
Temple of Flowers / Tempio di Fiori is a site-specific immersive installation by Austin Young commissioned by Chiostro del Bramante in Rome for the exhibition FLOWERS. Transforming the Renaissance cloister through original photography, archival imagery, printed fabric, vinyl, color, and light, the work reimagines the historic courtyard as a contemporary sanctuary inspired by the site’s history, architecture, and dedication to the Virgin Mary.
“Temple of Flowers is located n the central courtyard of Chiostro del Bramante, a Renaissance cloister completed in 1504 as part of Santa Maria della Pace in the heart of Rome. Originally, the courtyard served as a place of reflection and daily prayer for priests who lived in community. Its architecture was designed to enhance acoustics, allowing prayer and sacred chant to resonate throughout the space. Inspired by the site’s history and architecture, Temple of Flowers reimagines the cloister as a contemporary sanctuary dedicated to the divine feminine. The architectural intervention invites visitors into quiet contemplation and connection—with themselves, with one another, and with the sacred.” - Austin Young
Drawing from ancient Roman botanical texts, Marian symbolism, and his own photographic archive, Young layers flowers, architecture, and light to create an immersive environment that unfolds through movement. Spanning the cloister’s sixteen arches, the installation reveals itself as a sequence of visual encounters, transforming the Renaissance courtyard into a contemporary space for contemplation, beauty, and shared experience.
Official Exhibition Page
Chiostro del Bramante, Rome
Fragile and powerful, flowers speak a universal language that transcends centuries and cultures.…
Read here
Flowers
Dal Rinascimento all'intelligenza artificiale
Silvana Editoriale
Fragili e potenti, i fiori parlano un linguaggio universale capace di attraversare i secoli e le culture. Raccontano..
Read here
Detail of the floor installation for Temple of Flowers by Austin Young at Chiostro del Bramante, Rome.
Austin Young, sketch for Temple of Flowers, 2025
Austin Young, Temple of Flowers, detail of floor, 2025, commissioned by Chiostro del Bramante , photograph by Giovanni
Austin Young, Temple of Flowers, detail , 2025, commissioned by Chiostro del Bramante , photograph by Giovanni
Austin Young, Sketch for Temple of Flowers, 2025. Used as the primary visual for the exhibition FLOWERS and its accompanying catalog.
Austin Young, Sketch for Temple of Flowers, 2025. Used as the primary visual for the exhibition FLOWERS and its accompanying catalog.
Critical Reception
“a true evocation of a paradise on earth, creating a sensory journey.”
- Collater.al, Flowers Transforms the Chiostro del Bramante into a Paradise on Earth
“a scenographic site-specific installation…in dialogue with the Renaissance frescoes and the Bramante’s architecture.”
- Juliet Art Magazine, Flowers: From the Renaissance to Artificial Intelligence at Chiostro del Bramante, Rome
“Site-specific installations by Rebecca Louise Law and Austin Young…sit beside the work of Jan Brueghel and William Morris.”
- My Modern Met, Immersive Exhibition Explores Timeless Beauty of Flowers Across Five Centuries of Art
“completely transformed into an earthly paradise thanks to the installation by Austin Young.
- Thursd, Rome’s ‘Flowers’ Exhibit Spans Renaissance to AI
Exhibition Details
| Title | Temple of Flowers / Tempio di Fiori |
| Artist | Austin Young |
| Type | primary Commission site-specific installation / group exhibition |
| Venue | Chiostro del Bramante, Rome, Italy |
| Dates | February 14, 2025 – February 22, 2026 |
| Extended / continued | FLOWERS – Meravigliosa Natura, March 18, 2026 – September 6, 2026 |
| Materials and elements | Original photography, archival imagery, printed fabric, vinyl, color, and light |
| Location within exhibition | Central courtyard of Chiostro del Bramante |
| Catalogue | Flowers. Dal Rinascimento all’intelligenza artificiale, published by Silvana Editoriale |
| Catalogue texts | Laura, Giulia and Natalia de Marco, Roger Diederen, Franziska Stöhr, Suzanne Landau |
| Curators | Franziska Stöhr with Roger Diederen, in collaboration with Suzanne Landau |
| Related projects |
BEAUTY! Marriage of the Sea La Visione di Pietro |
Press & References
