Culture

The Plant Kingdom as Seen by Five Artists in an exhibition in Paris

Combining art and science, five artists present their unique interpretations of the plant world at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie (MEP) in Paris.

Por: Rubén Carrillo
The Plant Kingdom as Seen by Five Artists in an exhibition in Paris / Photo via Art Basel
The Plant Kingdom as Seen by Five Artists in an exhibition in Paris / Photo via Art Basel

With its endless variety of species, transformations, and life cycles, the plant world has been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for photographers since the dawn of photography. 

 

Iconic works like Karl Blossfeldt’s botanical close-ups, created at the end of the 19th century, have become key references for many artists. This autumn, the Maison Européenne de la Photographie, in Paris, hosts the group exhibition Science/Fiction – A Non-History of Plants, showcasing pieces by over 40 artists from photography’s early days to the present. 

 

The exhibition highlights the diverse approaches photographers have taken—often driven by technological innovations—to unravel the mysteries of plants through mediums such as video, cyanotype, collage, and ceramics. Here are five standout artists from the exhibition.

The Plant Kingdom as Seen by Five Artists in an exhibition in Paris / Photo via Karl Blossfeldt
The Plant Kingdom as Seen by Five Artists in an exhibition in Paris / Photo via Karl Blossfeldt

Elspeth Diederix

Going beyond the role of a mere observer, Elspeth Diederix turns her garden into the focal point of her creative practice. 

 

Passionate about flora, this horticultural artist established The Miracle Garden in Amsterdam in 2018, a public space maintained by residents where she cultivates flowers and plants. Diederix captures this open-air curiosity cabinet through close-up shots that emphasize the curves, folds, and vibrant colors of the plants, lending her subjects an intimate and sensual light.

 

Under her lens, campanulas resemble mouths sticking out their tongues, while the stems of allium and kniphofia bulbs burst in all directions like fireworks.

Elspeth Diederix, Digitalis ferruginea, 2019 (from the series ‘The Miracle Garden’). © Elspeth Diederix. Courtesy of Stigter van Doesburg, Amsterdam.
Elspeth Diederix, Digitalis ferruginea, 2019 (from the series ‘The Miracle Garden’). © Elspeth Diederix. Courtesy of Stigter van Doesburg, Amsterdam.

Gohar Dashti

Nature’s ability to reclaim abandoned spaces, as starkly demonstrated during the recent pandemic, takes center stage in Gohar Dashti’s photographs. 

 

Fields of poppies, moss, and fir trees invade deserted buildings, creating scenes that feel both unsettling and comforting. Plants dominate the foreground, overshadowing outdated architecture and symbolizing the triumph of the natural world. 

 

Much of the Iranian photographer’s work explores the traces left by the passage of time and humanity’s destructive power—particularly the Iran-Iraq war—against which nature always seems to prevail.

Gohar Dashti, Untitled #2, 2017 (from the series ‘Home’). © Gohar Dashti
Gohar Dashti, Untitled #2, 2017 (from the series ‘Home’). © Gohar Dashti

Almudena Romero

Can plants communicate? Can they create art? These are the questions Spanish artist Almudena Romero has been addressing for years, challenging the notion of human dominance over nature. 

 

Through the creation of the Museum of Plant Art, a virtual museum showcasing a wide variety of plant images, Romero celebrates the agency and creativity of the plant world. Her work explores natural phenomena such as photobleaching and photosynthesis, using both ancient and modern techniques to immerse viewers in a world where plants appear to come alive.

Almudena Romero, Iris, Le Musée d’art végétal, 2024 © Almudena Romero
Almudena Romero, Iris, Le Musée d’art végétal, 2024 © Almudena Romero

Miljohn Ruperto and Ulrik Heltoft

The planet remains home to countless undiscovered plant species, a mystery that inspired photographers Miljohn Ruperto and Ulrik Heltoft to reinterpret the Voynich manuscript, a 15th-century illustrated book filled with depictions of unidentified plants. 

 

By digitally assembling fragments of real plants and creating 3D models, these artists craft hybrid species combining recognizable elements like bulbs, roots, or petals. Photographed in black and white against dark backgrounds, these creations mock the authority of traditional botanical knowledge. 

 

At the MEP, their series resonates with Joan Fontcuberta’s project in the same space: a fantastical herbarium featuring entirely invented species.

Miljohn Ruperto and Ulrik Heltoft, 50 Leto, 2014 (series ‘Voynich Botanical Studies’). © Miljohn Ruperto et Ulrik Heltoft. Courtesy of Friends Indeed Gallery, San Francisco, and Vacancy Gallery, Shanghai.
Miljohn Ruperto and Ulrik Heltoft, 50 Leto, 2014 (series ‘Voynich Botanical Studies’). © Miljohn Ruperto et Ulrik Heltoft. Courtesy of Friends Indeed Gallery, San Francisco, and Vacancy Gallery, Shanghai.

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