In Botannica Tirannica, Giselle Beiguelman extends the scope of her work into the field of science and investigates the relationship between hegemonic science, classical botany, and the colonialist imagination historically present in the forms of domination of nature .

To establish a scientific genealogy of prejudice, Beiguelman used Artificial Intelligence resources to cross and match various species with derogatory names. Hybrids are born in a post-natural garden, plants that are both real and invented, true and false, thus undoing the taxonomic impetus through their strange bodies and unpronounceable nomenclatures.

Against the taxonomic forces, imposed binarisms and fixed identities, Botannica Tirannica revives the peregrinations and nomadism traditions to recognize plants, particularly “weeds”, as resistant and resilient forms of life, creatures now planted in real and digital gardens. From these gardens they will not be eliminated.

Ilana Feldman, Curator

Read: The Life of Names, curatorial text by Ilana Feldman