Estonia

Through the metaphor of tropical orchids, Orchidelirium unveils a complex and dark account of colonial ecological exploitation with present-day repercussions. The overlooked story of the 19th-century artist and world traveller Emilie Rosalie Saal is a case study for entangled histories of self-determination, colonial experiences, neocolonial structures, botany, science, and art. Artists Kristina Norman and Bita Razavi, in conversation with curator Corina L. Apostol, have produced an immersive environment – encompassing Norman’s film trilogy and Razavi’s performative spatial intervention – connecting past and present through the lens of colonial botany and its sociopolitical ramifications.