Flora Fantastic: From Orchidelirium to Eco-Critical Contemporary Art

This project delves deep into colonial botany, utilizing mediums such as historical investigation, cinema, photography, live performance, and installation art. Surveying perspectives from Europe, the U.S., Africa, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, it positions plants—both native and foreign—as active participants and silent observers in colonial narratives. By viewing through the prism of visual and performance art, this book touches on diverse topics like the economic value of plants, traditional and Western medicine, state-endorsed scientific endeavours, migration patterns of flora and people, bio-contact areas, nationalistic views, and botanical diplomacy. It offers fresh insights into colonial botany’s multifaceted history, emphasizing the intricate interplay between Eastern, Western, and Southern nations during the 20th century and its enduring impact today. Serving as an invaluable addition to the realms of art history, performance studies, botany, visual culture, decolonial initiatives, and environmental politics, this book arrives at a pivotal moment when its insights are most crucial.