BOTANICAL ENCOUNTERS
A collaborative exhibition
Launch Event: Tuesday 20th February 6 - 8pm
Drop-in art workshop: Friday 23rd February 3 - 5pm
Closing Event: Sunday 25th February 2 - 4pm
Exhibition: Monday 19th - Sunday 25th February 2024, Open: 12 - 5pm / Sun 1 - 4pm
Initiated by Dr Christina Horvath (University of Bath) and funded by the British Academy and Leverhulme Trust, the ‘Botanical Encounters’ project stimulated participants’ botanical imagination by fostering opportunities for genuine discussions about plants and the ways they were impacted by colonialism.
Botanical Encounters exposed how plant-based knowledge has been overshadowed by the singular narrative of European botany—a science developed to advance empire-building and extractive approaches to the environment. The project highlighted contemporary challenges, ranging from the loss of biodiversity to issues of spatial and food justice, as well as the recognition of minority groups, women, and people in the Global South as valuable contributors of plant-related knowledge. It brought together artists, cultural institutions, and civil society, for a program comprising twenty lectures, walks, and art workshops. As well as pieces created in the project’s artist-led sessions, this collective exhibition showcases the works of:
Felicity Bowers
Paul Burgess
Georges Félix
Lucia Harley
Christina Horvath
Maidei Kambarami
Simbah Pilé
Natasha Sweeting
Ben Van Praag
Richard White
It provides additional opportunities for creative encounters with and reflections on plants.
The exhibition is free, and everyone is welcome!