Radical Botany: The Politics of Flowers

Flowers have always been political. From the 1637 tulip market crash – history’s first speculative bubble – to today’s environmental crises, flowers reflect urgent economic, social, and ecological concerns. This exhibition showcases contemporary artists who use flowers as their primary subject to address pressing political issues affecting us all. The works span diverse themes including colonial history, immigration, sexism, racism, gender politics, homophobia and class. The artists employ flowers both symbolically and literally – through formal arrangements, seed planting, decay, and disruption – to express deeply human struggles. By centering the flower, these artists reveal how this seemingly delicate subject is never merely decorative but carries profound weight; across a range of media, the exhibition demonstrates that flowers are sites of labor, commodification, memory, and resistance.

Note from curators Susan Bright & Hedy van Erp:

For us, Alice Austen House is the perfect venue for this exhibition as it intertwines history, cultural activism, and botany. Flowers have historically been entangled in systems of power, capital, and control, serving as contested sites where politics, economics, and ecology converge. At a time of increasing political unrest, the artists in Radical Botany reveal that delicate flowers often carry profound weight and can be potent tools for resistance. Nestled in a beautiful garden, the museum not only highlights Alice Austen’s legacy but also fosters community engagement and education, making it an ideal setting to explore these critical themes.