The human brain is a marvel of efficiency when it comes to perceiving the world. Evolution has favored energy efficiency, leading us to filter out familiar details and move through life in a near-automatic state. Viktor Shklovsky, in his 1917 text “Art as Technique,” argued that art’s purpose is to make the familiar seem new again, to make “the stone stony.” In today’s world, where industrialization has led us to a state of climate catastrophe, scholars and artists are seeking to reorient our perception of reality to bring nature back into focus.
One significant challenge in this reorientation is tackling “plant blindness,” where we have become so accustomed to the presence of plants that they have become invisible to us. The book “Science/Fiction: A Non-History of Plants” and its accompanying exhibition aim to recenter the botanical in our consciousness. Through an eclectic photo history of plants from the 19th century to the present, the book highlights the importance of plants in art and science.
Written by Felix Hoffmann, Simon Baker, Giovanni Aloi, Natsumi Tanaka, and Michael Marder, and edited by Maison Européenne de la Photographie, Victoria Aresheva, and Clothilde Morette, “Science/Fiction” showcases works that blur the boundaries between human and nature, art, and science. It draws connections between historical botanical photography and contemporary artistic expressions, emphasizing the significance of plant life in our world.
While the book employs a thematic structure that sometimes overstates the newness of plants in science fiction, it ultimately embraces fiction’s ability to grasp the incomprehensible. By forgoing traditional chronology and disciplinary frameworks, “Science/Fiction” encourages readers to dream and imagine new ways of understanding our relationship with plants and nature.
Through a combination of historical context and contemporary artistic interpretations, “Science/Fiction: A Non-History of Plants” offers a unique perspective on the importance of plants in our lives. Available for pre-order online and set to be released on April 29, this book promises to be a valuable addition to the conversation surrounding our changing relationship with the natural world.
