A major exhibition titled "In Bloom" explores the intertwined history of botanical science, colonialism, and human obsession with flowers. It features works and stories from figures like Mary Somerset, Carl Linnaeus, and Joseph Hooker, tracing how global plant collecting transformed European gardens and culture.
The show reveals how the pursuit of botanical knowledge was driven by imperial power and commercial expansion, yet constantly teetered into aesthetic obsession and sensuality. It connects historical plant hunting to enduring themes of beauty, addiction, and the complex legacy of cultural exchange and appropriation, framing botany as a force that has profoundly shaped societies and worldviews.