ABOUT US

Robert Bartolen is a Slovak floral designer, curator, and educator based in Nitra, Slovakia. His journey with floristry began in childhood, inspired by his grandparents' deep connection to nature. The identity of Slovak flora remains a central theme in his aesthetic language, interwoven with architecture, narrative design, and emotional symbolism.

At just 19, Robert began lecturing at the university level, quickly becoming a sought-after mentor, coach, and later an international trendsetter in floral design. His innovative concepts have shaped the direction of floristry across continents, and his publications are followed in over 80 countries.

In 2019, he was named Floral Designer of the Year, recognizing his conceptual contributions and visual approach to floristry as both art and medium.

International Projects & Artistic Direction

Robert is the author and artistic director of multiple long-term creative platforms, including:

  • The Future of Floristry – a forward-looking project exploring emerging techniques, technologies, and narrative forms in floral design. First presented at the Europa Cup in Katowice.

  • Floristry as Art – a series of high-level masterclass workshops (Slovakia, Spain, Mexico) dedicated to positioning floristry in the context of contemporary visual culture and installation design.

From 2023 to 2025, he has led over 30 workshops and seminars across Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, including:

  • Bouquet as an Art (Barcelona, Valencia, Brno, Nitra, Mexico City)

  • Wreath as an Art, Table as an Art, and Floristry as Performance

  • Bohemian Rainbow Tour (Romania, Spain, Czech Republic, Mexico)

  • Ramos del Futuro (Valencia)

  • Strategies for Your Successful Business – Tour 2025 (Slovakia, Spain)

  • Full-production experiences in Mexico City, Querétaro, and Monterrey

He is also an active private coach for leading floristry companies in the United Arab Emirates, supporting the creative direction of floral décor in palaces, hotels, and luxury events.

Latest Major Work: Parallel Flowers – Flora Olomouc 2025

In April 2025, Robert Bartolen served as chief designer of the central exhibition at Flora Olomouc 2025, the Czech Republic's leading international garden fair. His concept, Parallel Flowers, transformed Pavilion A (1600 m²) into a scenographic experience merging contemporary floristry, Czech glass art, and the world premiere of 12 new flower cultivars.

A cornerstone of the project was his official artistic collaboration with twelve prominent Czech glass artists:

Tomáš Rachúnek, František Jungvirt, Dominika Petrtýlová, Patrik Čech, Johan Pertl, Karolína Vorlíková, Filip Lukavec, Pavlína Šváchová, Josef Divín, Sebastian Kitzberger, Tomáš Kučera, Klára Janypková, Vlastimil Šenkýř

Their original works were integrated into twelve scenographic compositions, each dialoguing with one of the new cultivars. The interplay between live botanical structures and crafted glass objects created an unprecedented interdisciplinary encounter within the field of floral installation.

"A remarkably strong scenographic gesture. Floristry became a medium of memory, reflection, and future vision."
– Czech Design Foundation
"Bartolen's work proves floristry is not craft alone – it's a language of time, space, and human emotion."
– Design Magazine

Robert Bartolen continues to redefine floristry through interdisciplinary collaborations, visual research, and a strong commitment to education. His work navigates between the poetic and the conceptual, the floral and the architectural – always with purpose, identity, and innovation at its core.