What if plants were more intelligent than we think? What if they observe, communicate—perhaps even dream?
A flower—both organic and digital—appears as a hybrid entity. Its technologically shimmering surface oscillates between nature and the artificial, blurring the boundaries between the two. The Book of Flowers by Agnieszka Polska, published in 2023, opens up a new perspective on the relationship between humans, nature, and technology—not as pure fantasy, but as a creative force and a vision of symbiotic coexistence. In a similar spirit, the exhibition Science/Fiction – A Non-History of Plants at FOTO ARSENAL WIEN explores the threshold between science, art, and speculative imagination.
This group exhibition invites visitors to engage with the history of plant life in ways that are as sensuous as they are speculative and thought-provoking. Developed in collaboration with the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP) in Paris, the show brings together works by over 40 international artists. It begins with pioneers of photography such as Anna Atkins, William Henry Fox Talbot, and Laure Albin Guillot, and places their work in dialogue with contemporary positions, including those of Ágnes Dénes, Jochen Lempert, and Agnieszka Polska.
Across six thematic sections, plants emerge as active beings, as allies, and as political agents. Cyanotypes, video works, and hybrid visual worlds offer surprising insights into our shared habitat—even beyond the scope of human perception.
A publication accompanying the exhibition is available from Spector Books.
Science/Fiction – A Non-History of Plants is part of FOTO WIEN, Austria’s largest photography festival, held biennially. The next edition in 2025 will once again be hosted by FOTO ARSENAL WIEN.
