The exhibition Botanical Murmurs explores our often paradoxical relationships with the plant world, and the ways in which plants become in turn objects of affection thanks to their aesthetic qualities, signals and symbols of environmental upheaval, the embodiment of sustainable consumption, or perform aesthetic or symbolic functions. For example, while the Monstera deliciosa, whose presence in Europe is a direct consequence of colonial expansion, is seen in the West for its decorative qualities, in just a few years, palm trees in Ticino have become the symbol of biological invasion and global warming. While many plants are disregarded because they are deemed insignificant, harmful or unphotogenic, others are invading shops, homes, social networks and, more broadly, our visual culture.

Bringing together intimate narratives, scientific documentation, speculative explorations, and everyday observation, this exhibition presents a multitude of contemporary botanical studies. It aims to capture some of the complex meanings of plants in today’s cultural context.